


The Frozen Rose

by AlessandroBelmonte



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Aged-Up Character(s), Attempt at Humor, Established Relationship, Eventual Romance, Fantasy, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Frozen (Disney Movies) References, Ice Powers, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Inspired by Frozen (Disney Movies), M/M, Magic, Male Protagonist, Minor Character Death, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Overprotective Peony, Plot, Pokemon Sword & Shield Expansion Pass: The Crown Tundra, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Romance, Self-Discovery, Sexuality, Slow Burn, Teleportation, Threesome - M/M/M, Vague Dark Contents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:34:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27983133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlessandroBelmonte/pseuds/AlessandroBelmonte
Summary: The story of Marco and his life after waking up in the Crown Tundra with strange ice powers.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan, Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan/Original Male Character(s), Hop/Masaru | Victor, Kabu/Melon | Melony, Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Rurina | Nessa/Sonia
Comments: 28
Kudos: 23





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I'm writing just for fun, but I am here to hone my skills in writing characters with powers. This isn't my first attempt to write a long story because I have done them; alas, that was years ago. So practice makes perfect!
> 
> Please don't be afraid to offer suggestions and the likes to improve my writing, and to a greater degree, my story! I am on here to improve, so please help me improve. 
> 
> In the meantime, please enjoy what I have to offer. 
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte

— THE FROZEN ROSE —

Unlike any other normal five-year-olds, Marco stood on his tiptoes atop a wooden chair to pull a book out of the towering shelves. He had wanted to read this story in particular. It was his favorite, and supposedly, according to Mum, it was his dad’s too... 

Slowly and carefully, he climbed off the chair and pushed it back to where it belonged, next to a study desk for his homeschooling lessons—such bore and chore. 

Hugging the well-read book to his chest, he made his way out of the Manor. Then he stepped into the Garden where he was planning to read. 

Just as he was about to sit down, not caring about ruining his traditional schoolboy outfit with stains of grass. 

Suddenly! 

There was a painful cry of a pokemon nearby! 

Startled, Marco dropped his book and looked around. 

The bushes, the hedges, the wisteria-bound arches, the trees, the clouds, the blue hues… there! A bird was flying around in a circle just beyond the Garden Walls. 

Marco hurriedly weaved through the small complex hedge mazes and opened the Iron Gate that opens to the Eterna Forest. He stumbled upon an animalistic scene: a predator versus prey—Starly hunting upon Budew. 

But… something was off about this one. Its’ green bib-shaped leaf was purplish? Pink? Shaking his head, Marco focused on the fact that this Budew was quite hurt and in danger. Starly circled in the afternoon sky, its eyes never off the Grass-type Pokémon.

“Hey!” Marco yelled at Starly, swallowing up his nerves as he picked up some stones scattered about the forest floor, “Leave Budew alone!” Marco lifted his arm and threw the rocks towards the flying bird. 

Starly dodged most of them, but after one of the stones hit its wings - it let out a startled cry and flew away in a hurry. 

As Marco watched, a joyful look on his face when Starly gave up. Then, he quickly dropped the few remaining stones from his left hand onto the ground and knelt next to Budew. 

“Budew?! Are you okay?” The question came out softly as if to assuage Budew’s nerves. 

Scratches and dirt marks were all over the rosebud-like being. Resigned responses could be heard from it. “I know… I know you’re scared and hurt, but please let me take you to the Garden. I think I can help you.” His wide-eyed gazes were sparkling with confidence meeting its tired, pained glance. 

Budew agreed after a moment. 

“Okay! I’ll pick you up now,” Marco moved as if to lift Budew with his hands, but then Budew shook its head in a way. Shaking its body was more apt. Marco blinked at it for a bit.

“Are you… oh! So you… maybe you have, um, p-poison point?” 

Budew tiredly nodded. 

“Well, don’t worry! I’m tough, so I think I can handle some poison. But thank you, I’ll try to be careful,” Marco smiled at it. 

After Marco carefully held it against its chest, interlacing his hands underneath Budew’s bottom and holding his head out of the closed vines. Budew let out a soft coo and closed its eyes. “That’s okay, Budew; close your eyes, and get some rest. We’re almost there,” Marco whispered. 

The white-haired boy placed Budew down next to a bush, conveniently hiding the two of them from the Manor’s windows. “I’ll be right back with some berries!” 

His spry legs took him through the hallways and into the kitchen, where a cook was preparing their afternoon meals.

“Monsieur Nelson! A Budew is hurt. Do you have some oran berries in here?” 

The cook pointed his knife in the direction of the refrigerator. “They’re in there at the bottom, my boy. Please do be careful with Budew, and I won’t tell your mother,” he winked at Marco before getting back to cutting up some vegetables. 

“Thank you, monsieur!” Marco grabbed the few oran berries from the fridge’s reservoirs and left the building just as quickly he went in. It was fortunate that he didn’t run into anyone yet. 

Marco knelt next to Budew once more. “Here, Budew, I got some oran berries. Please eat them.” It took some time, and there was a moment when Marco grabbed a bottle of water from the Garden Fountain to hydrate it. 

After Marco read a few chapters aloud from his favorite story, Budew finally woke up, looking well-rested and healthy. 

Marco folded down the corner of the page he was on and closed the book with a glimmering smile, “Budew! How are you feeling?” 

Budew was surprised, probably was still waking up, and instantly ran away, vanishing into the shades of dark green hues that is the hedge maze. 

“Aww! Well, I hope you’ll be okay, Budew! Stay strong!” Marco shouted after it. He was a bit disappointed Budew ran away from him. Still, overall, he was just happy he was able to help the Grass-type Pokémon. 

— THE FROZEN ROSE —

Little did Marco know that Budew paused his hurried steps just beyond the Garden Wall. Several feet away, he looked back at the majestic building and the radiant scenery it had awoken in… 

Perhaps Budew was thinking of something about that human boy with those alluring pale blue eyes. 

Then the cries of the Pokémon nearby started Budew out of his brief idleness. Like every other creature, Budew vanished into the lush and vanity of Eterna Forest. 

— THE FROZEN ROSE —


	2. Becoming a Pokémon Trainer (1) / Snow Falling (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention I'm going to be trying out some writing styles, so I'd know which one I feel is more natural, effective, and enthralling. I sincerely apologize if this is a bit hard of a read, especially for a first chapter. With all honesty, I wrote it straight from my heart and brain. The things I wanted to say about the world of Pokémon is on here, as well as what I wanted to say about Marco himself. Some worldbuilding and backstory, ya know.
> 
> I am open to suggestions and pieces of advice on how to make this a pleasurable read! Just keep in mind, I'm on here for fun, so I'm just sharing ideas and concepts I got without refining or tweaking them 100%. More like 31%. So a rewrite in the future is highly probable. 
> 
> In the meantime, enjoy the world with my own version of Pokémon, where safety is mostly prioritized. Indeed, the version where Marco will go on quite a magical journey. 
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte
> 
> (Taylor Swift, "happiness": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP4TTgt4nb0)

\- THE FROZEN ROSE - 

Many regions worldwide had their set minimum legal age for becoming an independent, responsible certified Pokémon Trainer. It was internationally agreed one must be at least fifteen to travel to another region on their own. Many legalities and intricacies were involved, resulting in such a drastic change to trainers' lifestyle and dreams. 

Once upon another time, ten-year-olds could go on an adventure by themselves, that was until there were mounting cases of deaths that were mostly avoidable with quick, critical thinking skills and firm knowledge in survival skills. According to science and its numerous observational studies, the kind of skills that were not as well-developed in ten-year-olds is more developed among older teens and young adults.

These days, if someone is interested in becoming a Pokémon Trainer, they must be certified in First Aid, Wilderness Survival, Camping, Mindfulness, and Pokémon Education. There are electives such as Finance and Economics, Driver's Education, Culinary Education, Regional Politics and Laws, etc. 

Soon-to-be trainers could start taking those courses at the age of ten until they're fifteen and certified since muscle memories and long-term memories will significantly improve and be ingrained over time. Thus, improving chances of survival for anyone stuck in a bone-chilling blizzard or a sudden sandstorm. 

Pokémon had always been volatile and spontaneous, after all. 

Marco delayed his plans when his mother passed away of cancer months before he turned thirteen. Left alone with his stepfather, Marco sacrificed his dreams to appease Damien's wishes. 

So he had been waiting patiently. For there would come a day, when he turned eighteen, he would be free from Damien's clutch and gain his father's family inheritance of his own. 

Biding his time, he learned in secret all of the tricks and trades from the Cook, the Butler, the Maid, and the Gardener (who sadly passed away the past summer). 

Once he was out of that accursed Manor, he would be getting his General Pokémon Trainer Certification right away. Thankfully, he had his up-to-date international passport since it was customary for families of the Lawsons' status to travel abroad, attend events or parties, and straight-up schmooze. 

Though Marco wasn't given a chance to travel and attend some of the places he wanted to go, he thought he would get to go with his Mum… 

Marco took a breath and let it out. Not wanting to think of that day anymore. 

Instead, he stared out the window, arms around his body in a state of coziness. He looked out into the sad Garden. It was once beautiful. Ever since the Gardener passed away, Damien couldn't be bothered to spend some money to hire a new one to keep the Garden nice and spruced up. He wouldn't let Marco take care of it, saying he needed to focus on his homeschool lessons. 

Deep down, everyone knew Damien only kept it up for the sake of his Mum's happiness when she was here. Now that his Mum's gone, there was no reason to maintain the Garden except to wait out the contracts. 

The Gardener… he was a better man. More of a father to him than Damien ever could be. 

Pale knees deep in the dirt, growing flowers and adoring their worths while Damien would be away for weeks, months even at someplace Marco would have to learn how to pronounce. 

Growing up, Marco quietly watched from the dark, watching Damien sinking deeper and deeper in that dark hole of greed and selfishness. Shutting himself off from society because deaths and exile seem to follow the Belmonte blood anywhere. As if it was a ghostly haunt.

So it was no surprise the hired staff was quite willing to help Marco leave undetected if needed when the day came. 

Marco would cherish them always. 

Because it was his eighteenth birthday today.

Lady Nature painted those wispy clouds outside dark grey, and the air was a little bit colder. 

No difference was visible on him; he was just a year older, but with the Belmonte inheritance (or what was left of it) handed to him. 

Something came into the room - the only being that would dare approach his safe place was Persian, Damien's partner pokémon. 

He came up beside Marco's legs, rubbing his pale-tan-colored fur against them. Marco took the time petting Persian on his head, knowing it would be a long time before he'd ever see Percy again. 

"It's time, isn't it? Do you think you can do that favor for me now?" he asked the classy cat warmly. 

Persian let out a purr and left his side. 

Marco walked out and set forth to the dining room… 

He knew he looked good. He dressed cozy in his preferred clothes, simple grey cardigans over a pair of khaki chinos and some white sneakers. 

When he sat down, at the opposite end of the table, across from his ~~stepfather~~ legal guardian, picking up his fork to dig in, Marco went about asking, "So how was the trip, Damien?" 

But their small talk was worth nothing because there was no meaning to it anymore. There was no sincerity. Marco would sometimes wonder why Mum was even interested in Damien in the first place, only to remember that she needed financial security and stability at the time. She may have been a Belmonte, but she did not have the blood of one in her - but Marco did. The Belmonte Will was quite a document. 

A bit of the time has passed during the afternoon meal between the two men. "Marco," Damien said his name in such a tone that the white-haired man never quite heard before. Serious, yet something else?

Slowly, as if carefully, Damien continued, "I am aware I haven't been particularly kind towards you since your mother's passing. I…," the tired soul sighed, "I can only regret I have been too tough on you these last several years. I regret taking advantage of your family's legacy for the profits' sake, or rather for my sake. I regret being incredibly absent and not stepping up in your mother's place. At this moment, I can only wish you can find it in yourself to forgive me, even if that comes years later. But, ah, will you be leaving today?" 

Forgiveness… was something he hadn't considered. Yes, he lived in a rich house, with some privileges, but lived such a lonely life in which his closest friend was the Gardener who passed away. He didn't have the healthiest childhood. That wasn't something he could easily forgive Damien for. So Marco took that moment to think about his response, "Yes, I'm leaving today," he paused, "I… I should be grateful you have given me a home to live in, that you let me stay here. So thank you, Damien." Marco nodded. 

Damien used to be such a charming socialite. He still looked about forty in visual appearance, despite the salt and pepper hair with the complexion of a man who threw himself into work far too many times, who had many lingering regrets. 

Standing up, Marco closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it go. He opened his eyes and said the words he had wanted to say for years, "You don't have to worry about me anymore. I will be okay. You can let me go, Monsieur Damien. I'm not your responsibility as of today." 

Nodding in understanding, though something about those brown eyes seemed to shine, as if wet, "I see. Well, I will always be here. It may not be a... warm home to you, but these doors are open to you anytime, Marco."

Persian chose that moment to enter the dining room with a dark brown basket in its mouth. 

"Thank you, Percy. I will take them with me. They were my mother's, and it's only right I have them."

Damien relaxed, leaning back into his chair. "Of course, it's only right. Do take good care of them. They are Persian's, after all."

Marco bent down a bit to grab two Heal Balls resting upon a royal blue cushion and safely stored them away in his cardigan's pocket. 

He was looking back over at Damien, memories filling his head. Flickering moments of what was his life here in the Manor came and passed. 

His eyes so icy blue, meeting those aged brown eyes. Marco's mouth ends pulled, stretching into a faltering smile - the kind of smile reserved for someone trying to smile, forcing themself to pretend to be happy. Nodding just once, Marco stepped out of that same old dining room, hoping that he would never return to it. With Damien, though, perhaps Marco could rely on him for some matters if that man indeed was asking for forgiveness.

\- THE FROZEN ROSE - 

Marco's first sensation was bitter, biting cold. 

He tried opening his eyes… but all he could see was pure white. 

_Ooo…_

He heard something… It was calling to him in echoes, then he brokenly thought, "Why did it sound so familiar?" 

Why did it feel like it was getting colder than before?

Heavy footfalls and faint sounds of braying. 

Gentle nuzzle on his face.

He could feel it… 

Something was there.

His head was a mess. 

Then something was escaping his body all around. 

He was so, so worn out… 

_Sleep._

"Yes," he tiredly thought. Eternal sleep sounded like gentle peace, and with such ease, Marco closed his eyes. 

Unaware of the Crown Shrine freezing over for everyone in Crown Tundra to see. 

\---- 7 DAYS LATER ----

Peony moved forward slowly through the heavy snowfall, Metagross levitating after him in an offensive stance, ready to strike at a moment's notice. 

He would've gone earlier if his daughter hadn't been adamant about preparing extra supplies and food before heading out to the Crown Shrine, or what was once the Crown Shrine. 

It happened a little after seven in the evening this past Sunday. Peony was returning from his expedition at the Iron Ruins, which was south of Freezington. Suddenly, this bright piercing light, from atop the mountains, appeared - where the Crown Shrine and its majestic tree, the Sacred Sapling, could be seen from Freezington. 

In the next moment, befuddled citizens of Freezington would come out and gasp and tremble at the sight of their precious Crown Shrine gone. But Peony thought otherwise. It looked more to him that something froze over it, but how could such a grand building and a giant tree be frozen over in ice in just seconds?

**LEGENDARY POKÉMON!**

Perhaps it was the work of the Ice Giant mentioned in the relics. 

Needless to say, such thought got him fired up to go right up there and see if he could catch it as part of his expedition, and his darling Nia would want to tag along in more of his spelunking trips. There was hope!

But of course, his precious Nia had more sense than him. 

So after two days of stocking up and double-checking the supplies, Peony set forth for a possible three to four days worth of trekking up the perilous mountains. 

Mere steps away from entering the frozen shrine, he was expecting to see something majestic, something powerful! Then, as soon as his eyes adjusted to the brightness in the open space, Peony blinked at the scene before him a little bit. 

"Meta? Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" 

Metagross voiced his agreement. 

"Bloody hell!" came the swearing. Something in him surged at the sight of this boy… no, a young man fast asleep with Poké Balls scattered about. Already down by the man, Peony got out an emergency rescue blanket to warm the fellow up. As he moved the blanket about, he noticed two Heal Balls and an Ultra Ball shaking violently. 

As a former gym leader and an expedition team leader, he reserved the right (and everyone on the team) to override any trainer's Poké Balls in emergencies. Additional assistance was always the best to have. 

Without any hesitation, Peony let out the Poké Balls and was surprised to see two baby pokemon and a shiny Roselia. 

He thought they would've been strong pokemon, considering this young man's presence here. "Hmm. How odd" was the observational thought. 

When the three pokemon looked at him confusedly, Peony was quick to say something. 

"The name's Peony, I'm a former gym leader, and I'm here to help. Listen to me carefully," the man instructed, and the young pokemon quickly obliged. 

Peony nodded, pulling a container of pellets out of his backpack as well as a bottle of water, "Good. Here, eat some, drink some, then return to your Poké Balls. I promise you I'll look after him. Just trust me, yeah?" Peony crouched down to help the bottle to their mouths, though he did have some minor issues with Roselia, who was cautious and more combatant of the three. He liked its spunks. 

After a moment, Vulpix and Eevee happily obliged while Roselia looked back at his unconscious partner. "Don't worry, mate. Your partner will be fine. I will make sure of it." Roselia responded by pointing its black rose at Peony to warn him before proceeding to click on the Poké Ball, returning inside of it. 

"Gahaha! Well, okay! Magnezone, come on out. Metagross, you know what to do," Peony said as he lifted the young man, cocooned in the blanket, into his arms in a bridal carry. He looked about eighteen years old with just about an ear-length wavy white hair and fair-skinned upon a closer look. Peony had eyes, and he could see this young man was quite a beauty, but Peony had no time for such thoughts. 

For there was something else plucking at his heartstrings. Something he felt similar for Nia. Something was surging within him, shaking his head, "All set, yeah? Splendid! Metagross, return. Now take us back to Freezington, Magnezone. Don't overexert yourself." 

Mere seconds after they vanished, a sizeable four-legged beast stepped out into the open. It made its keen observation of the mysterious man being the epicenter of the now frozen-over shrine. 

_Such powers... Curious, curious. Son of ice... Curious, curious._

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -


	3. Dreamlike Memory (3) / After (4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to "evermore" has been quite wonderful. It's been a productive day, and I'm eager to put this out. 
> 
> Once again, just on here for fun, and I apologize if this is a bit hard to read. My ideas are always all over the place, and I never really take the time to refine them -- to make them more digestible and readable. 
> 
> There will be time skips and all, so pay special attention to that!
> 
> There will also be stuff implied, such as Marco remembering everything and sharing some of those tragic details with Peony. 
> 
> I'm not too fond of explicit details because it takes away the fun in reading. Implicit details spice things up a bit. Or maybe that’s just me.
> 
> Anyway, do let me know of any suggestions or pieces of advice to make this a more pleasurable read. 
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

Blurred trees. 

Quickening beats of his heart. 

Pokémon of all kinds were running away. 

So was he. 

In the distance, the Manor, all he could see was thick, billowing smokes everywhere over there. 

He could hear some parts of it crumbling down from afar.

But there was no time to stop!

No sense of peace.

Everything was happening so suddenly. 

A wild, dangerous, monkey-like Pokémon came smashing into the Manor when he returned from his successful certification exam to pick up something he forgot. It was a pair of Beau's gardening gloves, stored away in his book bag. 

Marco knew Damien wouldn't be there because he should be heading on to Hearthome City at the moment. But the staff. 

_Run! Find a safe place!_

Those words echoed in his mind as the adrenaline was high, and he had to get away. 

Eevee and Vulpix couldn't be relied on. They were only babies. 

Then an Energy Ball appeared from the trees' dark depths, hitting the ape-like creature running after Marco. 

Old memories. 

Shiny Budew. 

Toxic spikes were sent everywhere. 

With an ultra ball, they became friends. 

Running once more. Cliffside. 

Something appeared. 

Marco disappeared. 

But the dark, malicious glowing red glare from this barbaric Pokémon was the last thing Marco saw before waking up with frantic breathings. 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

It was true. 

Everyone was gone that he could remember crystal clear. 

But who was that Pokémon? 

His head was a bit fuzzy still. 

"Wait," Marco thought, "Where am I?"

Then a door opened, a young woman with blonde hair, though her ends were dyed violet-pink, walked into the room with a tray of what appeared to be a steaming cup of hot peculiar tea and something else. 

"Oh! Sweet Arceus," the lady said, startled at the now awakened Marco. "Nearly gave me a heart attack with that wide-eyed ghostly look goin’ on. But I'm glad to see you up and about. Dad was worried you wouldn't wake up at all."

Marco tried to speak, but his throat felt dry, and raspy sounds were coming out. "Oh, right, here, sip on it carefully," the lady placed the tray down on the bedside stand and lifted the cup off it, "It's pipin' hot. Should help with your throat." 

"My name's Peonia, but I much prefer Nia. So what's your name? Where are you from? Why were you at the Crown Shrine? Ah! Hold on a bit. I'll be gettin' my dad now. He'd be thrilled to know you woke up. Let me take that cuppa, and you munch on that biscuit while I get him, yeah?" 

Marco could only oblige, munching on a dry biscuit slowly as if dazed but was looking around the room he was in. It felt warm and cozy. He could see there was falling snow just beyond the two windows in the bedroom. Marco couldn't remember much now, but he felt it would come to him soon. 

Merely a moment later, Marco sat himself up as an older man followed in after Nia. Marco could see the resemblance in their faces.

"Bloody hell, you scared the pants off of us when you wouldn't wake up after three days. The name's Peony and this lass is me darlin' daughter Nia. We've been taking care of you and your Pokémon."

Before Marco could forget his manners, he bowed as much as he could, showing gratefulness, "I am deeply indebted to you two then. I don't know how to repay this selfless service."

"Gahaha! Save your energy, my boy. But my, what grace and politeness, lad! But think nothing of it," Peony motioned his hand to wave something off in the air. "Ah, 'fore I forget though, I need to talk to you about why you were up there in the Crown Shrine. Without proper fit and supplies, on top of that too." 

After this, Peony crossed his arms and had on this look… a distinct look that reminded Marco of what only fathers would have before a scolding.

Marco sighed, opted to look out the window, frosts, and icicles covering its frames outside. "I'm Marco, from Sinnoh. This, well, it is crazy, but I think something happened back in Sinnoh, and I somehow ended up here. I think… maybe legendaries were involved?" He looked back to meet Peony's eyes, being as transparent as possible. 

"My head's a bit of a mess right now, but I think I need some time to sort through this strange dream I had. I think the dream consisted of memories of that day, and I've been living it out the past… three days, you said?" 

After receiving a nod from Nia, Marco continued with a tired smile, "Okay. So the past three days then. I hope you don't think I'm too crazy. It's alright if you do. Loneliness is a familiar friend." Marco thought he mumbled that last sentence to himself, but Peony heard him clearly while Nia had a sad look. 

Something was surging up again within Peony. Something about this young man felt right that he could trust him with his life. Peony believed him. 

"Well! It sounds like we're in for an adventure of a lifetime," Peony smiled brightly. Nia turned her head around and looked at him dumbfounded. "Huh?" she reacted. 

Marco was unsure of what was happening, though, "Wait, what's happening?" 

Peony laughed, "Don't ya know, lad? Your appearance coincided with the Crown Shrine being frozen over. What you said just now only further confirms my suspicions that legendaries are involved! 'tis means we're tagging along with you until you get everything sorted right."

Nia quietly grumbled, "Why do I have to tag along?"

Marco could only awkwardly chuckle, feeling the odd dynamics between the father and the daughter, "Okay, then, thank you for your help, sire." It hadn’t gone unnoticed that they had Galarian accents. 

"Gahaha! None of that. We may be Galarian ‘ere, but no use for the titles, my boy. Just call me Peony, and we're ace."

Marco nodded in understanding with a grin on his face, "Okay, thank you, Peony."

"That's a good lad. Now, would you like to see your Pokémon?"

"Please," Marco shyly responded. 

"Nia?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get 'em, Dad."

Peony pulled up a chair next to the bed, sitting down in it. "I know we only just met, but I want to reassure you you're in good hands." 

Marco had no idea what to say to that. "Thank you, but you didn't have to take care of me." 

"I didn't have to, but I wanted to. 'sides, the nearest hospital is a day away with this weather, and I wasn't sure of your condition. Strange, to say the least, that you haven't contracted hypothermia or the likes despite you being in minimal layers of clothes. Odd, indeed. Hmmm, perhaps might you remember anything about what kind of legendary you encountered? No pressure, o'course."

Marco took a moment to think about it. 

Pink. There was a small blob of pink. A small flying blob of pink. Vibrant, mischievous blue eyes and a tail. "Huh." 

"Hmm? Something's the matter?" Peony asked. 

"I think, no, I know I saw Mew. It was Mew."

"What?!" Peony was surprised, wide-eyed. "THE MEW? The mythical pokemon that is said to appear to only those with pure hearts? That MEW?"

Marco coughed a bit, reaching over to grab the cup to sip on, "Yes, well, I need some more time with my memories, but I do believe it helped me out. Perhaps I was teleported here. Mew was said to be a psychic typing, right?" 

Peony eagerly nodded, "Yes, yes, though it can learn any Pokémon moves. Fascinating. This is brilliant! It could explain why the shrine was frozen over. Maybe Mew did that." 

Marco thought that wasn't right, but he didn't know why he felt that way. "Perhaps," was all he settled for. 

Their conversation about Mew was cut when Marco heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet and a "Slow down, guys!" from Nia. 

Marco's heart quickened. He needed to see his Mum's pokémon. But he was shocked, to say the least, to see the appearance of his best friend he easily recalled helping out when he was five. The day they met, and the day their friendship was seeded and would eventually bloom. It did, for Roselia was standing there for Marco at the bedside.

That was when it all came back to him. 

A head rush. 

That sense of fear. 

And what spurted out of his mouth, that got him blushing badly in the aftermath, was a simple, "Holy fucking Arceus." 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

Some days later, when Marco stepped out into the living room area, Peony walked in with two cups of steaming hot chocolate. 

"Oh, hey, I thought we could have a chat together, maybe here, yeah?" Peony asked. "I heard you were wantin' to drink some hot cocoa the other day." Marco's skin felt the blood rush, pinking his face a bit because he talked to his pokémon in the living room, and Peony unintentionally overheard him. Not that there were any secrets to hide. 

Marco quickly took a seat, excited at the prospect of drinking hot cocoa, for it had been a long time since he had one. 

"So, Marco, tell me about your life before, ya know, this," Peony sat down, watching Marco taking a sip of the cocoa with satisfaction at the taste of it. 

"Do you… do you want to know?" asked Marco hesitantly, after swallowing a sip and taking another, so when Peony nodded in assurance, Marco continued talking, "Okay… Well, legally, I'm Marco Lawson, but I'm changing my last name to my father's once I'm back in Sinnoh. Belmonte. Yes, that Belmonte. I'm sure many people heard of that… fiery incident. I was born to a pair of an odd couple, Emma and Michele Belmonte. Mum was… extraordinary. A brilliant dancer, poet, and writer. She wrote lots of stories. I'm sure many small children around the world have read them. Dad was, well, I didn't get to know him long. I was only…" Marco paused, taking a deep breath, not wanting to get worked up emotionally, "Yeah, I was four." He said in a quiet voice. 

Unbeknownst to the two men, Nia was there in attendance, her back against the wall, out of sight. Perhaps eavesdropping was a thing in their blood. 

"Mum told me Dad was a businessman of sorts. I don't quite remember what he was exactly, and I… Well, the Internet has it all, but I don't think I will ever be ready to know." Marco paused thoughtfully, but Peony remained silent, and Nia too. They both knew there was more Marco wanted to say, so long he was comfortable. 

"The Belmontes are well-known for their obscurity, their oddities, and the likes. Some say the family was cursed with something, while others say the family was from a magical bloodline or something. I don't know. When I was growing up, making friends wasn’t easy, even with a different last name. Ah, Mum remarried someone, Damien Lawson, not long after that. He's an okay man, though his manor staff was wonderful. Um, would it be okay if I set up some candles in their memories?" 

"Of course, Marco," Peony's eyes softened, and observed, "It's no wonder you're such a polite, kind fellow." The eighteen-year-old felt his cheeks warm a bit and smiled appreciatively. 

"Thank you, Peony," he said, and then continued once more, "I've always been homeschooled growing up. Manners and etiquettes were a big part of it all. Well, I'm just grateful to have lived a privileged, secured life since I'm aware of the less fortunate, and I'm aware of how differently my life would turn out if… if Mum was gone earlier than later. I don't know. I guess things happened the way they were supposed to happen because I'm here with you now. You're a former gym leader, an ex-champion even, who happens to be the head of an expedition team for everything legendary. And I happen to be involved with a particular legendary Pokémon." 

Peony answered with a bit of a grin. 

"Your life's quite something else, but I can tell you that you've grown into quite a sharp, fine young man. You'll be okay, lad," Peony commented. 

"So, what will you do now?" asked Marco. 

"You mean, what will _we_ do now," Peony corrected, "You're a part of the expedition team, and we ought to take care of you like we take care of each other, Nia and me." 

Peony would pretend not to notice the sudden shine in Marco's eyes when Marco blinked a bit too fast and often, looking away. "Thank you," Marco quietly said. 

"Ah, I know what to call this Adven-tour!"

Marco looked back and tilted his head in curiosity. 

"THE MYSTERIOUS MEW… TELEPORTED AWAY!" Peony shouted with such fire in his green eyes, the hot cocoa forgotten. 

Marco awkwardly chuckled, though warmly, while Nia suddenly had a headache, grumbling about her father's antics. 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -


	4. Video Call (5) / 726 Days until the Darkest Days (6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, to be clear, Marco's story is about two years behind the events that would come to transpire in the Sword and Shield games. Victor and Hop in the Gym Challenge, and so on. 
> 
> At some point, which is the Darkest Day itself, and after that day, Marco will get to meet Leon and Raihan. My mind wants slow-burn love, but my heart desires that soulmate, fast love. But I feel like the story's gonna go how it wants to go. 
> 
> I don't know, lol. I'm crazy. 
> 
> But I'm really enjoying trying to bring this story/dream to life through writing. 
> 
> I am in no way a story writer. Instead, I'm a poet, but I need this writing experience to understand how to make a character personable, relatable, and a magical figure at that too. 
> 
> Sure, my poems do have stories to them, but not at such a great length as this story will be. On the side, I am also trying my hand at writing a poetry collection centered around this futuristic city - it's going well so far, and it is available for anyone to read. Like "The Frozen Rose," my poetry collection, titled "Neon City," is a work in progress. I update it whenever I update it, randomly and out of order, though. 
> 
> You won't have to worry about that, though, with this story. There is a linear plotline - I hope I'm not a crazy person for having dreamt of this. Seriously. I did dream of this. There was a whole "Show Yourself" sequence, too, embarrassingly so. But something was set aflame in me the morning after that dream. 
> 
> TL;DR - The Frozen Rose is based on my dream(s). Timeline, about two years before the Darkest Day, before Marco would meet Leon and Raihan. 
> 
> As always, don't be afraid to offer suggestions or pieces of advice. I seek to grow. Also, don't be afraid to ask for clarity. I'm not going to tell y'all word for word what's happening. Some stuff will always happen on the sides. Time skips will occur often. My version of Pokémon is different, but, reiterating it, it is based on my dream(s). I intend to follow through with it. 
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

"Damien," Marco said, once the line went through on the other side. He was finally able to get his Rotom Phone fixed and dried up after several days of waiting. 

"Marco. It really is you," the older man's tone was of surprise. "I didn't think I'd hear from you. I assume you knew what happened regarding the Manor?"

Marco sighed, "Yes, I was there when it went down, then, well, something strange happened. Anyway, I'm here in the Galar region. Uh, Crown Tundra, I believe. A quaint little town called Freezington. I'm just calling to know what you're planning on doing with the building. With... um, everyone."

"Ah, fret not. Their funerals will be properly arranged and paid for. On top of that, their families have more than enough money to sustain themselves for a lifetime or two. As for the building itself, there's no point in restoring it, so I'm abandoning it as a property." Damien sounded more exhausted than before, Marco noted. In the meantime, Marco felt relieved to hear that the staff's families - deserving families of the men and women who helped him grow up in that Manor, or tried to help him at least. 

He thought of them... Those learning moments in the Garden with Beau the Gardener.

Sewing up the tears in his casual clothes with Alicia the Maid.

Eating his favorite desserts, watching on as Monsieur Nelson prepare their meal plan for the next day. 

Archer the Butler took up his now-retired father's place a few years ago, who would let Marco stay up a bit late to finish his new Arthurian story for the day. 

Everyone he knew was gone...

He snapped back into reality when he realized Damien was still talking. Knowing the man, Damien likely didn't discern that Marco went away into a hallway of memories for a moment. 

"--ld Pokémon have already taken up home in it. Mostly ghost and grass-typing, according to the reports. I cooperated with Gardenia and her gym trainers to help the movers and officers recover many items with their utmost safety in mind. Speaking of recovered items, would you like your mother's possessions sent to you or stored here in Hearthome?"

His heart still felt the pangs of the deep hurt Mum's death left on him. Marco responded, "Yes, please. I'll text you the address after this call. I was told I could use this address for storage."

"Very well. Consider it done," then there was a hesitant pause, "If it's not too presumptuous of me, may I ask how you are?"

Marco dryly chuckled a bit, and the mouth ends were a bit shaky as if he didn't want to grin, "I'm doing just fine, Damien. Thank you for asking. I…" Marco trailed off, "I think I'm going to like it here." Meaning Marco would stay in Galar for a long time once he has his business in Sinnoh sorted out. 

"Oh," Damien said, following up quickly with, "Good, good. I do hope Eevee and Vulpix are behaving well for you, as expected of Persian's progeny." 

Marco's eyebrow felt a little tick. They were Flareon and Ninetales' too. Though Damien probably didn't want to think of anything about Mum. Marco wouldn't want to if he could. He never would forget Mum, though.

He was sure she was always with him somehow like Dad was. Perhaps Dad is still with him at this moment. Or someplace far away, dining with kings of legends that Dad (and Marco) love to read about. Maybe Mum and Dad were finally together now, after so long. "Of course, they are. I'm sure they'll grow into themselves soon." 

Damien cleared his throat. "Well, is there anything else you need?" Damien asked after an awkward break in their conversation. 

Marco shook his head as if Damien could see him, "No, none that I can think of." 

"Okay. Don't hesitate to contact me about anything. Ciao, Marco." Damien said before the line beeped, indicating the call had ended. 

Marco let out a deep breath, tensions leaving the pores of his light skin. 

That was something. 

Marco proceeded to send the address Peony had willingly given to him, to Damien. He got the read receipt, and that was it.

Peony had storage space in Wyndon (wherever that was), and there was plenty of space available. He had a sense there was a reason for it, but he didn't want to intrude by asking about it. He could see the grief in their eyes.

Grief was the kind of look that remained on one's face for a lifetime. It would never go away. "Some ghostly shadow would forever linger, and it would always change a life somehow," Marco thought. 

He was glad some of Mum's stuff was recovered. Mum wasn't the one for material possession, but rather sentimental and significant. Marco secretly hoped some of Mum's diaries survived the beast's assault on the Manor house. 

He had wanted to read them quite recently, for some reason. It would be the first time he had done so. There was an opportunity months after Mum's funeral. Back then, though, he couldn't find the will to do it.

But he was ready now.

Maybe a close encounter with Death opened one's eyes to certain things… that he wanted to do some things, but he didn't want to wait until it was too late. 

"Vee!" Eevee jumped onto Marco's laps, snapping him out of it. 

The eighteen-year-old then felt his heart at ease when he started petting the sweet baby girl on her favorite spot, near her right ear. 

"Such a good girl, aren't you, Eevee?" 

Eevee preened at the praise. 

Marco chuckled, voicing out what his mind immediately thought. "Yeah, we're gonna be okay." 

Eevee then tilted her head with this adorable confused look. 

"Don't worry about it, my dear. Perhaps I should start thinking about your name as well as everyone else's, hmm?" 

Eevee got excited about that prospect. 

Marco laughed, "Okay, I'll be sure to think about that."

So they sat there in peace, basking in the warmth of their temporary home while listening to the typical father-daughter banters beyond the cabin walls. 

For the first time in a long time, Marco believed that this was true peace with his heart and what remained of it. 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

"Alright! THE MYSTERIOUS MEW TELEPORTED AWAY starts today," Peony shouted with the brightest smile he could give. Nia rolled her eyes as she pulled on her neon pink travel bag. It was a bit of a difficult feat since, like Marco and Peony, she was clothed head to toe in the expedition uniform. 

She thought they were ugly, but she could tolerate a violet-pink colored uniform tailored to her. It didn't fail to occur to her that Marco looked just about right in anything, even in the bloody ridiculous golden-colored uniform. 

Marco's uniform was quite a bright color since he didn't care much about its shine. Peony had a spare available and was able to get the uniform fitted to Marco by a kind older woman in Freezington. 

Nia wasn't quite sure how to feel about this fellow. He was about the same age as her. But he came from a wealthy background and suffered far worse than she did. So many losses... 

"Mummy..." Nia thought sadly. Mum was gone for two years now. Nia was taking on the gym challenge when her Dad called with the grave news. Nia couldn't find it within herself to finish it. She believed it wasn't right to finish it without Mum there. Thankfully it was the one subject Dad wouldn't push her on it. 

There was still time anyway. Leon, the unbeatable Champion, wouldn't be going anywhere soon. One day, she would be his first defeat to break his three-year winning streak. It was hard to believe Uncle Rose sponsored him.

Thinking of her family, she understood she and Dad were all they have left of each other. While there was Uncle Rose, but Dad seemed not to want to talk about him much. Nia figured Rose wasn't considered family, at least in Dad's eyes. 

Honestly, she came here to this remote town only because of the Max Lair. Alas, it seemed many researchers had closed it off to the public. A bloody shame that was. She imagined she would be miserable with Dad's so-called "Adven-tour," but surprisingly, she was mildly enjoying it. Mildly. 

O'course, that joy only picked up by a level and some when Dad brought Marco to their cabin they've been staying at for the past two months. 

Here she was now, about to be teleported by Magnezone to the Crown Shrine where the legendary Mew might be! 

According to Dad, the whole place and even the giant tree was encased in ice. It was a work of some legendary Pokémon. It absolutely had to be. She couldn't believe it that she was about to meet one. 

That within weeks, Marco would change their lives and take them along for an adventure of a lifetime. 

Was it maddening? Yes! Yet so, exciting! 

She perked up at the idea that maybe she might get involved in a Dynamax battle. That would be historical—one for the book. 

"Okay! Everyone's set? Perfect! Magnezone, teleport us to the Crown Shrine." 

The saucer-like being happily buzzed about before its three eyes lit up the familiar blue hues. 

Everyone disappeared at the same time. 

And then they appeared at about the same place where Peony was with Marco in his arms. Near to the center of the Crown Shrine. 

Already, Nia almost lost her footing due to the unexpected floor of solid ice. But she was able to balance herself right away. 

Unsurprisingly Marco had enough grace to be unperturbed by the sudden change in scenery. Dad was the same as well, though Nia was sure the old man was made of solid steel with how reckless he could be at times. 

Looking around, Nia awed. She was taking in the glorious sight that was the Crown Shrine. 

Despite the thick layer of ice, she could barely make out the structures and the old building's designs. Even the Sacred Sapling looked majestic with ice sprawled over its branches up close. She never imagined she'd see a tree this huge before!

And this energy... she could almost feel it crashing all over her. Something powerful was here. 

Nia moved about slowly in her sturdy boots, skating a bit here and there not to lose her footing. It would be mortifying if she fell on her arse in front of everyone. 

Since her attention was elsewhere, she didn't listen in much to Marco and Dad's conversation. Occasionally catching stray words here and there due to the openness of the space. Echoes. The bloody Shrine had echoes! 

As expected of her Dad, Magnezone was hovering behind her since Nia didn't have a Pokémon on her person that would be able to withstand such a harsh cold environment. Not unless they were in a Dynamax Lair or some caves Dad would love to go exploring about. 

After taking some solid scenic pictures here and there with her Rotom Phone, Nia carefully walked towards the two men. 

It was then she caught on to their conversation. Marco talked about his experience in Eterna Forest - his encounter with some dangerous beastly Pokémon that led to his appearance here. 

Dad seemed pensive, which was rare for Nia to witness. "Hmm. I think I heard of a Pokémon like that. Zarude was the name. Helluva aggressive, I believe. Said to be a mythical Pokémon since no one ever saw them. Or at least there was no one alive to survive them and report it. Ah! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. Are you sure? Well, I'll pay attention to what I say better next time." 

Right, Dad would say something like that. Wanting to sigh, Nia could feel a headache coming on. Dad could be too blunt at times. 

Then Magnezone let out a warning sound. Putting up a strong protection barrier around Nia. 

Suddenly there was a blast of a sharp icy spear. 

It happened so fast! 

The strong gust had everyone losing their footing and all. Nia thought she'd go flying if it wasn't for Magnezone's sturdy Protect. 

If she blinked, she would've missed it. 

Nia was bloody sure it was hurling towards Marco. 

Intentionally for Marco.

Then bam! There were snow and shards of ice everywhere! 

It was after a clash of whatever it was, the bits settling once more, and Magnezone carefully let down the barrier around her, that everyone opened their eyes and were shocked, to say the least. 

Marco held his arms up as if to shield himself from that blast. In front of him, there was a wall of ice. Formed in an arching structure that naturally has followed Marco's instinctive reaction with the hands. The wall barely stopped the Icicle Spear from reaching Marco's chest by mere inches. 

"What the fuck?!" Nia screeched. 

"Nia! Marco! Is everyone alright?" Peony started fretting over the two, noting the wall of ice but more concerned about their safety. He hurriedly sent out Metagross and Scizor, ordering them to inspect the surrounding outside for a rogue Pokémon that just attacked them. 

"Or perhaps Mew was still here," Nia thought. 

But still... "What the fuck is this?" Nia continued her thought as she observed Marco's panicky reaction in the aftermath. Her eyes flitted down to the thick wall of ice and back to Marco.

It seemed things would keep on getting more interesting. 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -


	5. the talk (7) / the lake (8)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! It's been some time. I hope y'all enjoyed the holidays and took some time to yourself. Naturally, I took some time off and enjoyed the holidays with my family safely. So back to the story, I hope the tone in this chapter is okay, somewhat consistent with the previous ones. It's because I started writing it on the morning of… the rather unfortunate, tragic event on the 6th. So I had to stop writing and take a moment, but I still can't shake off such thoughts when writing this chapter. I can only hope this country can start healing on the 20th. 
> 
> But anyway, here is the new chapter! Here's the next step on Marco's journey. Thank you so much for reading this far! Please let me know if I missed any details or if there is anything vague/confusing. I seek to improve as always.
> 
> Also, before I forget, there are references to Frozen and Frozen II from here on out. In this chapter, I'm referring to Frozen II heavily, especially the "Into the Unknown" sequence. Just putting my own twist on it. 
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte
> 
> -
> 
> Disclaimer: Disney owns the Frozen franchise and there's no way I want to profit off on that or claim I own parts of it. I want to apply my creativity after dreaming up many Frozen-inspired scenes Marco was in. I just want to put that out.

— THE FROZEN ROSE —

"So," Peony cleared his throat. "You have these ice-type powers, yeah?"

Nia rolled her eyes while Marco nodded, polite and all. 

They were sitting on the covered ground inside a large tent, insulated and warm from the cold. 

"Any idea of how that came about?" The older man asked, appearing somewhat unsure of what to say even instead of nervous. Peony knew Marco, despite their short time together. Peony knew Marco possessed no ill wills. But still, this was something entirely different. 

Marco took a minute to think about it. He had no idea where to start.

"Well," he started talking, Nia and Peony paying careful attention, "I did tell you there are rumors about my family's heritage. There's one of them being about a magical bloodline. There may be, hmm, for the lack of a better word, type-users in my family. Like, an aura-user, if you're familiar with that lore. Now that I think about it, I overheard some people talking about how one of my cousins burned down the Belmonte residence by accident. That their power awakened at the wrong time, wrong place. So... Maybe my powers have been dormant and awakened when I woke up here. Actually..."

Marco stopped to think back to that day. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. But something had to be a catalyst to this dangerous power within him. 

Maybe Damien knew about it? The man did always keep him at arm's length. 

Maybe Mum's diaries could provide some answers. 

Hearing the calling of the icy winds outside, Marco paused his thinking to listen to it. They set up camp in the Crown Shrine for the night with Metagross and Nia's Aurorus on guard. Magnezone promptly returned to its ball for now. 

As Marco combed back through his memories, Peony and Nia took a quick look at each other and nodded at each other in understanding. Marco would still be staying with them. 

Marco opened his mouth, bringing back their attention. "I remember waking up here. It was very disorienting. I don't remember much, though. But I did hear... well, it was like someone was singing. It was mesmerizing. Then there was something..." 

Marco touched the right side of his face, "It nuzzled me here, I think. Oh... I remember something was coming off me... some energy, erm, maybe tension was relieved?" Marco trailed off, then shook his head, his eyes widened with interest and a form of realization, "No. Maybe that was when my powers awakened. Peony, you said there was a bright light the other day?"

Peony perked up, "Yes. There was a brief, blinding flash of light. Just white, no other colors, and then a moment later, the whole shrine was encased in ice."

Marco let out a sigh, "So it was me. I... I'm sorry." 

Nia was confused, interjecting her thought, "Why would you be sorry?" 

"For causing all of this trouble. For getting you two involved."

Nia smacked Marco's head from the back, "Oi! Don't be sorry about that! There's nothing to apologize for. We're here because we want to be here, not because we have to. 'sides, there are legendary and mythical Pokémon involved, so that's pretty wicked too."

Marco chuckled, a bit pained as he nodded, "Well, I didn't realize they're interested in me. That could explain why Zarude attacked the Manor. Maybe I'm sending off some signal? Unintentionally?"

Nia pondered for a bit. "Perhaps, but how do we know you're sending off a signal? Was there a bright light or anything back in Sinnoh?"

Marco shook his head, without a doubt, "No, not at all. Pitch black, I'd say, but I was knocked unconscious."

Peony threw in his question, "Was there anything significant happening back in Sinnoh?"

Marco blinked, realization settling in, "Oh. Maybe it was because I turned eighteen?" 

Nia was surprised, "Oh! You just turned eighteen? Happy Birthday!" Nia hugged Marco and pulled back, "Wait, so you're actually younger than me?" 

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I should've been clear about that. It was the day of my birthday when it all happened."

"Hold on a minute, lad, did you even celebrate your birthday?"

Marco tilted his head, "I haven't celebrated my birthday in a long time. It just hasn't been the same without Mum there. But the staff there did give me some presents the night before I left." Marco pointed to his bag, "It was mostly basic stuff for the Pokémon journey I was going to take."

Peony's heart ached a bit at hearing his answer, "Well, my boy, we ought to celebrate your birthday in style when we get back to the cabin. It's only right!"

Nia smiled, "Yes! I can bake the cake and everything."

Marco's face was a bit flushed, hands motioning about, "Oh, no, please don't trouble yourselves with such trivial matter."

"Trivial?! You only turn eighteen once. Ain't nothing trivial about that," Nia huffed, crossing her arms. 

So that was it to their enlightening talk, to get everyone on the same page. 

Everyone was well-fed and ready to sleep. They would inspect the Shrine even further the next day. 

— THE FROZEN ROSE —

_Ah ah ah ah_

Marco gasped as he woke up. 

He could hear it... 

Something was calling out to him. 

He looked over at Nia and Peony. 

They were sleeping peacefully in their assigned winter sleeping bags. 

Marco was only in his dry, cozy sleepwear and slippers when he stepped out of the large orange tent. 

Hypnotized. 

Enthralled.

He could sense Aurorus's eyes on him. Metagross was nowhere to be seen. But it was likely somewhere nearby. 

_Ah ah ah ah_

Marco took a quick breath, his head looking around the ancient temple even in the darkest of night. 

Earlier, Peony convinced him to try his powers again, to clear away some of the ice so they could set up camp on solid grounds. "It'd be a good practice if this is something you have to live with!" Peony said with a strained smile. It would be after that awkward camp set up; they had that necessary talk.

Marco was somewhat successful in making the thick ice go away. 

Nia was watching him with such awe. Peony looked on with some pride and intrigue... It was weird and different, Marco thought. He would think they'd run away from him the moment they saw him accidentally summon a wall of ice. But no, they stayed. For some reason, his chest felt warm about that. 

Marco suddenly looked up to the moon. 

It was a half-moon sleeping among the sparkling stars. 

"Half bright, half dark," Marco observed, muttering. 

_Ah ah ah ah_

Marco turned his head in the direction of where this haunting yet soothing voice was coming from. 

Without thinking, his legs started moving away from the camp.

Unbeknownst to Marco, Aurorus followed him - sending out a beam of gentle aurora into the camp to wake up Peony and Nia hurriedly. 

_Ah ah ah ah_

Marco thought about the voice singing that same note. It wasn't quite effeminate. 

It was a male voice. It sounded familiar, though. 

Why did it sound familiar? Marco was confused about that. 

He felt like he heard it years ago. 

"I can hear you," Marco whispered. "Where are you?"

Marco kept on walking, indifferent to the biting cold that would've easily given him frostbite in mere minutes. 

"Where are you going?!" Marco shouted, running as he realized the voice was going away from him. 

Something within him surged. His powers at the fingertips. Then he came upon an oddly unfrozen lake with some ruined buildings scattered about. Something wasn't right here, Marco knew. Then his powers were let out. 

He breathed in sharply as if with wonder, looking around the sparkles and glow of the floating diamond-shaped ice crystals. Then he looked down at the water - due to the half-moon, there was enough brightness - to see another version of himself in the water — strong, poise, wearing clothes of such esteemed style. Like a royal, Marco noted. 

Suddenly some of the clustered crystals whirled around and pushed him onto the lake. Marco was afraid he would fall into the water, but patches of solid ice formed at every step he took. 

He kept walking until he was dead center of the mysterious lake. 

_Ah, ah, ah, ah_

There it was again. But it was distant - so far as if fading into the views somehow. 

Then the crystals started changing colors, shades of blue, violet, green, and grey, forming images Marco could almost recognize. 

Outlines of tall trees. 

Contours of some Pokémon he had never seen before. 

An overview of his Manor even! 

There were so many colors. 

So many things were going on he could barely keep track of. 

The ice crystals all stopped moving when Peony and Nia yelled his name. They were standing by the lakeside, watching the colorful display of Marco's powers. 

Peony yelled, "Marco, are you okay?"

Marco looked over at them and then back at the still crystals all around. He had a beautiful smile with a single roll of tear going down the side of his face, "Yes, I'm okay." 

\- AFTER - 

"Dad, it's easy to forget, but, you know, there are those small islands independent from Galar. Not only that but, well, I did hear a story about a Snow Queen based on one of those islands," Nia said. 

Marco raised one of his eyebrows with piqued curiosity. "Snow Queen?"

Nia nodded, her eyes sparkling, "Yes, but I don't quite remember the story that well. I'm 'fraid it has been years since I last heard of it. I think it might've been from a children's book. Maybe? Dad?"

Peony held his chin with his thumb and forefinger as if in deep thoughts, "Snow Queen? Hmm? Now, where did I hear that? Maybe… Ah," Then a sad look took away his ponderous face. "Maybe your mother knew about it?" 

Nia's eyes widened upon realization. "Yes! Mum! I can almost remember it. There was a lullaby she sang once. Something about a river. Dad!" Nia stood up with a serious face. "We have to go back to Wyndon. We need to look through Mum's stuff. The answers might be there. Perhaps I could look up online as well when we're back." 

Peony was unsure, though. "In a children's book? Really?"

Marco could tell Peony didn't want to do that, but there was an air of acceptance around the older man, that perhaps Peony knew they needed to do this. 

Peony sighed, "Indeed, my darlin' Nia." Then in an instant, Peony had a shiny smile, "At least we can show Marco 'round back home. In the meantime, I have a feelin' we'll be back in Freezington shortly afterward, so I'll be rentin' out the cabin still."

Marco felt bad. These lovely, amazing people… They were willing to spend their time, efforts, and resources to help him. "Please. You don't have to do that. I can afford it."

Peony waved him off, "I'm sure you can, my boy, but I want to do this anyway." 

Marco felt something warm stirring in him again. Giving off a sincere smile, bowing just slightly, "Truly, I am indebted to you two. I kindly thank you." 

Nia rolled her eyes, "No need for that. We're in this together, and we'll see this to the end. Right, Dad?!" Nia looked over at Peony, their eyes of almost the same shades meeting. 

Peony laughed and nodded, "Right!" Then crossing his arms, "Now let's call off the Mew expedition and move on to the next. Your life is important, lad, and I know what to call this one!"

Marco chuckled uneasily, knowing enough about Peony to predict what was coming. Nia could be heard groaning about her father's antics once again. "Dad!!"

"THE THAWING OF A FROZEN HEART!" Peony exclaimed. 

Marco smiled anyway despite the desire to hide away in embarrassment. Again, awkwardly chuckling, "Maybe the name needs a bit more work, since, ah, my heart isn't frozen."

Peony's mood switched to something a tad morose. "Ah, true, true. Hmm. Perhaps I should change it." 

"Perhaps you should shut your yap," Nia grumbled, Marco caught it, but Peony didn't hear it since the man was lost in his world. 

Marco stumbled over his words, feeling guilty for putting the man in such a sullen mood, "W-well, let's call it that then!"

Peony was back to smiling, "Brilliant!"

Nia turned her head, huffing, looking over at Marco, "Anyway, I guess we can pack some bags and leave for Wyndon the day after tomorrow if you'd like. Have to warn you, it'll be a long trip. I'm not sure if you know, but the Crown Tundra is opposite to Wyndon on the map."

Marco recalled some history and geography lessons, "Ah, right. Long ago, Galar broke off from some north-eastern mountainous parts of the Super Continent, yeah? Then erosion and stuff happened?"

"Sounds about right. There are many reasons why we have loads of mountains across the regions and such vast cavern systems. What you said was pretty much the gist of it. I suppose that'd be why Dynamaxing is much easier around here. 'cause Dynamaxed Pokémon can easily find large open spaces in the field inside the mountains or underground in those cavernous lairs. Fascinatin' stuff."

Marco wanted to ask about that, but then Peony jumped in. The older man was looking at the two of them with a fond look.

"Okay, my children! The time is just about three in the mornin'. I'd say it's time we hit the hays and get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll inspect the temple one last time, and then we'll teleport back to the town. Wyndon's awaiting us!"

— THE FROZEN ROSE —


	6. The Train (9) / Welcome to Wyndon (10) / A Memory to Remember (0.1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> I've been quietly listening to The Midnight's "Last Train" and "Los Angeles" on repeat as I write this chapter. 
> 
> (Last Train, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7y8F-2lZwQ) / (Los Angeles, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_b4tucWzSw)
> 
> I am starting to be busy with college, and its bullshit. 
> 
> Because, well, yay! Debt is fun! Anyway, I look forward to sharing more of this Frozen-inspired Pokémon world with y'all. 
> 
> I kept thinking up so many different scenarios on incorporating Marco's story into everyone else's. The meetings. The storylines. The destinies. 
> 
> Then I realized this is Marco's story, so why would I bother in the first place? 
> 
> I have to let it flow as naturally as possible. I can't force things to happen, but I would let my imagination lead this story where it deserves to be taken to. 
> 
> I can only hope to write a quality story, but hey, I am just dreaming this up as I go. Speaking of dreams, I've plotted out the destination this story is set to arrive at. I was shocked I would dream such a dream up, but I will proceed with it just the same. 
> 
> It is noted that a train ride from a city in Scotland (Crown Tundra) to London (Wyndon) would be about 4/5 hours. But I kept thinking about blizzards, Pokémon lounging around on the tracks, and so on. Delays almost always happen, and they would have to tread carefully in this world.
> 
> More importantly, I contradicted myself in saying that Marco would meet Leon and Raihan in two years. After the Darkest Day. But hear me out, I felt that... maybe it was okay for chance meetings to happen. Sparks will fly, there will be chemistry, you know. But it's okay. They are allowed to know each other and still obtain that slow burn. So it's okay. Because at the moment, Marco wasn't ready for love or to commit to anything. I still wanted him to have some form of friendships or connections with some people other than his future family, Nia and Peony. Relationships will be way later, but for now, I want to get one of the chance meetings out of the way and focus on Marco's self-journey. Learning about his family, who he really is, and what kind of dreams he'd like to pursue. That's what this story is all about, truthfully. I suppose, in a way, I am learning more about myself too.
> 
> So ends the Crown Tundra Arc.
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

Marco sighed, looking down at his phone after pulling it down from his right ear. This was almost the last thing he wanted to do, but he had to do it. He made the call, and so he knew what he wanted to know. He turned around with a tired grin.

Nia came up in the doorway, holding up his familiar leather book bag, "How did it go?"

Right, it was time to go. "Thank you, Nia," Marco took the bag and wrapped the straps around his neck, letting the bag rest against his right hip. Something familiar. "Damien said my Mum's stuff should be arriving in Wyndon in the next few days."

"Splendid. We'll be right on time then. Oh! 'fore I forget. Umm... Would it be alright if I help you and read some of those books?"

Marco tilted his head, briefly thinking. There weren't much of Mum's possessions, but there was a library's worth of books Mum had at her old workplace - undoubtedly, some of them might be relevant to what they were looking for. Lores and myths. Aside from Nia's discovery that "Snow Queen" was Mum's work. A startling fluke, but perhaps not. They would be checking that out soon enough - Nia promised she would try to find her childhood storage and see if a copy of "Snow Queen" was still there.

He couldn't imagine how much research Mum put in, condensing them in the form of children's stories.

Nodding, with a grateful lilt, "Sure. It would take a while with just me, so I'd appreciate the help." 

Nia smiled at him, "Okay! I'm looking forward to it." Then Nia held her Rotom Phone up, shaking it a bit, "'fore I forget Dad said he'll meet us at the station. He's still at the Mayor's house."

"Ah, I understand. Does he need us to grab his clothes or something?" 

Nia scrunched up her face in mild disgust, "Ew, no, he's got his backpack with him. He'll be fine. Anyway, I just need to take you over to the station if you're ready right now?"

Marco looked around his bedroom. It was organized and clean but empty of anything significant to him. To some, it would be a sad sight. But to him, this sight relaxed him somewhat. "Yeah, I'm ready," he breathed out. 

He had on quasi-casual clothes - a faded, well-worn black sweatshirt topping off a skinny black pants pair. They would be trudging through the deep snow to get to the station, but it seemed Marco developed a strong resistance to the cold outside. So he would be okay with just simple clothes on…, but that didn't mean he would be fine with them getting wet. 

So he made sure to pull on the tragically golden hiking boots and the comfy expedition jacket for waterproof protection. He had yet to practice his powers because there wasn't any chance to. 

After double-checking the inside of his coat, three of his Pokémon were tucked away safely in a pocket. They were ready with all of the lights out, doors closed, and the fireplace silenced. 

They walked out of the homely cabin, and Nia locked the front door with the given brass key. Nia started towards presumably the station while Marco followed her.

It was still the middle of the day. Greeting the locals on the way, Marco couldn't help but cast his eyes to the visible yet distant Crown Shrine. It was still encased in a thick layer of ice. 

Yesterday, Peony asked Marco to try and see if he could somehow melt the ice, but alas, it was quite a feat. It was clear Marco had little control of his power. 

They simply woke up, though tired, and spent half the day inspecting and photographing the temple itself. There was a close encounter with a wild Absol when Marco tried to backtrack his way to the ruins and lake. Thankfully, Peony pulled Marco back, saying they would return to it another day. The older man even had it marked down on his physical copy of a map while Nia had it marked on her phone. Partway down from the peak, Snowslide Slope was the name of the entire terrain, so few people would dare to hike. 

Marco vaguely remembered that this mountain was listed as one of the world's deadliest mountains. Powerful Pokémon and variable weather conditions were usually the reasons why death counts steadily increased. 

Honestly, his admiration for Peony exploded dramatically after learning that the man volunteered to investigate the Crown Shrine when it was frozen over that day. Peony was willing to risk his life to investigate a potential threat to Freezington. Marco wished he could obtain such will to do that. Perhaps experiences and strength could change that?

Maybe he would find the answer to that question in Wyndon. 

As Marco finally walked alongside Nia, they both chatted about Wyndon and what made it such an amazing city. Marco had the chance to look up some information on the urbanscape. Luxurious hotels, stunning boutiques, high-class townhomes, and a magnificent stadium that happened to be a famous symbol of the Galar Region. It was a city many Galarians dreamed of living in, according to Nia. 

The starry-eyed description of their destination reminded Marco of the famous Lumiose City. It tugged at his heartstrings, but, truthfully, he did not want to remember that—the promise. 

Clearing his head of the memories trying to come up, he asked about the expeditions' progress. Marco realized they were getting closer to their station once he saw the wooden sign nearby. Just several minutes of walking to go. 

Nia was more than happy to answer Marco's question. They discovered another exciting but super dangerous trail near the peak on their recent trip to the Crown Shrine. On that different trail, it would lead to another temple, entirely unlike the Crown Shrine. Nia told him it was one of the three temples where a giant is said to sleep within. 

Further explaining how it was one of their expeditions, they focused on before Marco appeared out of nowhere, putting a pause on their plans. Peony did make some progress on the supposed Giant of Steel and its temple, located just south of Freezington. But for the two other temples, they couldn't reach them yet due to the volatile weather. 

Marco inquired more about that, though their conversation took a brief reprieve. They slipped through the green sliding doors. Marco looked around the place, and it was relatively small and a bit run-down. There was an old feel to the station. Though, he didn't know why. Nia was at the counter when Marco caught up to her in a sec. 

She turned around with a bounce in her steps. 

"Oh, right, I meant to ask. Have you ridden trains before?" Nia looked at Marco curiously. One of the train station workers processed their digital tickets, Nia's Rotom Phone floating before a scanner, before approving and letting them aboard. 

Walking through the turnstile, the white-haired man shook his head, chuckling a bit, "This would be my first time, actually." 

Nia went through one at the same time. "Really? Well, it might be exciting at first, but you'll get bored all the same." 

They quickly picked up their conversation as they found their seats, which wasn't difficult to do since nobody else was there. 

According to Nia, the Iron Ruins environment was usually dry and sunny, so it wasn't dangerous for Peony to be there. In comparison, the Iceberg Ruins had constant deep snow and blood-freezing temperatures, while the Rock Peak Ruins would have suffocatingly strong sandstorm brewing and pitfalls throughout the ground. 

Marco swore he would do his best to make it up to them after resolving this magical power situation. 

Before, he was naturally hesitant to ask the expeditions' names Nia and Peony were on since Peony would be more than happy to say it aloud for the quiet town to hear. There weren't words to describe the feeling, but Marco became more fond of Peony's antics. The older man was staying true to who he was, no matter the place. Marco would love that for himself. 

He had gone to a few classy events and business dinners wearing quite a mask of insincerity and faked niceties growing up. "Be a good boy," was a line Marco heard far too often.

He supposed he had lost his sense of identity as he grew up. He didn't know who he was exactly. "Who exactly is Marco Belmonte?" the white-haired beauty would think to himself from time to time. 

All he knew was that he was fortunate and privileged. 

All he knew was that he had a father and a mother, only to lose them to time and fickle Fate. 

All he knew was a sanctuary that was once the Lawsons' library. A world he could easily get lost in often. But not often, because he would have to smile and interact with guests and business associates Damien would sometimes invite over. 

All he knew was wherever he went, people got hurt. 

And here he was, in Galar, with a power that could kill people.

He wouldn't have thought he'd be here, so far from Sinnoh. Far from a place that used to be home.

Thinking about it now, aboard this advanced Galarian train, Marco didn't often travel, having only flown all over in Sinnoh. However, Mum promised him that someday they would fly out to Kalos and experience the Kalosian culture for a month. Alola would've been next on the list. That was the promise. 

It was a shame that it would never happen, but perhaps Marco could go on his own... even if it wouldn't be the same. No. It couldn't be the same, but somehow Marco knew Mum would want him to go. 

How annoying. His mind always goes back to such promises and memories. He didn't want to remember that at all. 

He needed to focus on something else. Something important, which was his power and how to control it. 

At the moment, Marco reasonably concluded that his power would come out when he was frightened or experiencing some sort of high emotions related to high-stress situations. The thing was that Marco wasn't the sort to be angered easily, so he would have to think of another way to call upon his innate power. 

He wished he could have the answers right away. Nia's quick but in-depth search on the internet was of minimal success. But she said she would be getting into the nearby islands' lores and myths if there were any uploaded online. Marco offered to help, but Nia waved him off, telling him to rest, sort through his memories, and focus on his powers when they returned home after their half-day excursion.

Staring out the train's window, they were waiting for Peony to board soon. There was practically nobody else onboard except for the usual staff; no one was in any hurry. However, the worker did say something about the potential for a blizzard partway through the trip. 

"Gahaha! I am here, my children!" Peony burst into the scene, startling Marco out of his pondering as Nia yelped, almost dropping her phone before looking up at her dad with a deadly glare. 

Peony held both of his hands up as if in defense, sheepishly, "Sorry, my darlin'! But anyway, good news, the Mayor decided to waive the rents since we've been bringing in some tourists the past few days!"

Marco tilted his head, "Wait, really?"

Peony nodded, practically stars in his eyes. "Not tourists per se, but rather a few researchers who happened to need a place or two to stay at. I heard they were wantin' to go up to the Max Lair and investigate, somethin' about energy source and whatnots. See if it's related to what happened at the Crown Shrine," he finished with a wink.

Not many people would want to come all this way to a shockingly freezing tundra-like area where a town was barely thriving. But this news would be great for Freezington. He knew they were coming into some hard time from what little time he had spent with the locals.

Marco wished there was a way he could help them. The town, some time ago, was famous for farming unique crops and vegetables. But lately, most soils were far too frozen to let anything grow. Marco did wonder if he could somehow use his power to defrost them. Maybe he could help restore some of the town's income. 

"Do you think they'll find anything?" Marco asked, realizing that science these days was something else. Futuristic even. 

Peony shook his head no, "I don't believe so. If there's any trouble, I'll be right there for you." 

Touched, Marco smiled at him. "Thank you." 

Ruffling up Marco's short hair a bit, Peony laughed, "Gahaha! It's not a problem, my boy. Now let's get this train rollin'! Home awaits us."

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

The trio arrived at Wyndon after a two days trip. Marco was surprised that, in reality, the train ride was supposed to be a few hours long, but due to the unpredictable nature of the Pokémon world, delays are expected about ninety percent of the time. 

Nia and Peony knew of this, having been Galarian born and raised, but Marco was intrigued. He wasn't annoyed with the fact that he could have been in Wyndon in just hours. At the very least, he was impressed with the staff's sensibility and patience when dealing with a bunch of lounging Wooloos not far from the city of Motostoke and nearby the famed Wild Area. He had more time to appreciate the countryside and the distant, majestic views of Pokémon in their most natural state. 

As he witnessed the Galarian wilds' beauty during those two days, Nia and Peony told Marco more about the city they lived in. Having learned quite a bit about it, Marco meekly expressed his wish to experience the city as a tourist would. 

Nia and Peony were more than happy to make that happen. Nia excitedly promised she would take him out to all of the best spots she knows after turning in a few expedition-related reports and talking to a researcher about something. Peony promised to treat them to a dinner at his favorite restaurant and an exclusive VIP visit to the Wyndon Stadium.

Elated, he couldn't wait to see what the city had to offer! 

But Marco did wonder what they do for a living and asked about that, which Peony happily explained. 

Peony was a former Champion, and he lived off on a comfortable yearly stipend, so he spent his free time and money on spelunking. Because of his experiences and interests in cave exploration, he invested his time in becoming an official speleologist as well as an archeologist, since he had a knack for discovering ruins and ancient artifacts. 

On the other hand, Nia took a break from her education and decided to assist her dad on the expeditions for a year or two. She was unsure of what to study, but she admitted to being fond of geology and possibly archaeology, if not amateur photography. She was granted a temporary license as a field assistant, lending her some privileges, considering her position as the ex-champion's daughter. 

It didn't go unnoticed that neither Peony and Nia mentioned that Rose might have influenced Nia to pursue this dangerous but potentially beneficial opportunity. Marco did some of his research online, and he learned there was some severe friction between Peony and his older brother for a long time. He would respect their space and leave that topic alone. 

Marco smiled and nodded when Nia added that the expeditions would count towards her educational and work experience. 

Talking about their jobs got Marco thinking about what he wanted to do. "Sweet Arceus, so many questions that I can't answer yet," Marco realized as he continued living in Galar. Indeed, he knew one thing: he had the time and means to find those answers. 

\- - -

After fixing themselves up nice and proper, they stepped outside the station with a fresh change of clothes. Marco couldn't help but admire the center plaza and its stunning stone centerpiece. This was a masterful work of a water fountain—a reminder of that Garden. But Nia's voice brought his attention, while Peony stood behind his daughter, wearing a smile. 

Nia pointed to the clusters of tall buildings with big, bright screens plastered atop some of them. "So if you stay on this side of the road, you'll find yourself at that sister publishing company your Mum worked with. It's quite hard to miss, but it's okay if you do. Just remember your Rotom Phone has the map function of this country now. Do ring Dad or me up if you still need the help, though." She glanced down at the time on her phone. "Ah! Sorry, Dad! But I need to head on to the lab and have a chat there. I'll see you back here in an hour! Maybe two!" Already, Nia blended into the bustling crowds past the fountain. 

Peony walked up next to Marco, placing his hand atop Marc's head, ruffling the hair a bit, chuckling. "Well, my boy, on behalf of Nia, I'd like to welcome you to Wyndon!" His loud voice sought some annoyed glares and stares from those nearby. 

Marco felt embarrassed to be a part of the center of attention: Peony. Once more, the man sure was something else. He turned to face Peony and bowed a bit, "Thank you for welcoming me here, Peony. So where will you go?"

"Ah, I'm heading on over to our home so I could get your boxes sorted and put them in your room."

"Oh! Please, you don't have to do that. I can get them after I grab some of the books."

"Gahaha! Never lose that humility of yours, lad. Such a good heart. It's no trouble, that's all. Ah, I suppose I'll have to pop off to the grocer's for some shop first. Well, a busy day's a good day." Peony pointed towards another side of the station, opposite of where Nia pointed at. Marco could see lush trees and rows of townhomes from where he stood. 

"Over there is one of the residential areas in Wyndon. You've got the address, right? Brilliant! So I'll be heading this way now. Don't forget. The townhouse is just past the park. It'd be best to cut through the park, and it feels like a good day for that. Stay safe, lad!" Peony left without much fanfare, so Marco turned back around after watching and memorizing the way Peony took before the trees and bushes hid him. 

For the first time in forever, Marco had never felt out of place here. 

There were bright lights throughout the busy cityscape. Vibrant colors, blending of accents, and people rushing or walking. 

So this was Wyndon. 

A beautiful city was full of wonders and changes to the many Galarians here. Some were here for the modeling careers, and some were here for the local Pokémon tournaments at the famous stadium… There were endless reasons one could be here for. Marco loved that. The memories of Hearthome and Sunyshore City flickered through his mind for a brief moment. 

Right there and then, he felt relaxed. 

Pulling out his phone, booting it up, he clicked on the address Damien texted him earlier. In truth, Mom's former publisher was bought out by a major company, so it continued to operate under their name: LautnerCollen's Children's BooksGroup. Mum published her works through Eren & Armin, though an independent Eren & Armin resided in Kalos. 

All Marco had to do was look for the LautnerCollen Galar office and retrieve the books his mother had written and published. The research, data, and personal collection were sent over by mostly Mum's former agent and some from Damien - but Damien provided the means to transport them, without issues internationally and quickly. 

The blue dotted line on the app blinked into existence. Nia was right. All he had to do was stay on this sidewalk, to the right of the road, and he would come upon it in several minutes—half a mile walk. 

Caught up in the allure of this chandelier city, looking from sparkling stores to well-built office complexes, it was then Marco accidentally bumped into someone. 

Marco jolted awake, eyes seeing bright blue and towering shapes, only to be caught still. Then he felt himself being pulled up in someone's arm. Blinking back to life, suddenly, he found himself looking up into a stranger's enchanting yellow eyes.

It was a man around his age, eighteen, wearing a kind smile and the plainest toned-down clothes possible. Grey hoodie with a hood pulled up over a black snapback that seemed to tame his purple hair, from what Marco could see. Gasping, stepping away from the man, cheeks reddening from being in his space. "Oh my god! I am so sorry!" Marco said, flustered and all. 

"Oh, no, you're fine, mate," the purple-haired man chuckled, placing a hand against Marco's elbow as a gesture. 

"Ah-h, well, t-thank you for your help, I hope you have a great day, sir," Marco stammered as he bowed slightly after he stared at the handsome man perhaps a tad too long. He could easily get lost in those soft hues of golden eyes. Marco was about to walk away, about to berate himself for losing his cool, when he felt a pull on his wrist. 

"Wait, actually, if you don't mind, could you kindly point me to, erm, the Rose of the Rondelands? I'm afraid I'm rather lost," the man nervously chuckled. 

Marco opened his mouth, then closed it, repeating the motion once more only to tilt his and smile at him. "Really?" The pale blue eyes were sparkling up with intrigue. "I'd imagine you'd know your ways around here better than me. You're Galarian, aren't you?"

The man in question raised his eyebrows in surprise, but Marco wasn't sure why. "Yes... Yes, I am, but ah, well, as you can see, I'm rubbish with directions. Hopeless even." 

Marco giggled, "Well, don't you have your phone?" 

"Right, right, umm, you see, I left it at the hotel," the man looked down to the floor, blushing. 

Marco couldn't believe it. 

This man was true to his words, and he couldn't help the bright smile growing on his face. Utterly hopeless, Marco warmly thought. Checking the time on his phone, he had plenty of time to spare, opting to help this guy out before picking up those books - the first drafts and copies. Perhaps he could knock it out on the way there once he saw the updated GPS routing. 

Marco looked up, showing the dotted dark blue walking path to the man standing before him. "So the hotel's actually just two blocks and a bridge from where I was heading. Shall I walk you there?" 

The man mumbled, "I think I do remember a bridge," then he looked up, nodding, "I'd be delighted." 

"Oh, ah, I should introduce myself, since you're helping a silly fellow like me. But, ah, I'm Leon. Pleased to meet you," Leon held his hand out, which Marco happily shook.

"I'm Marco. It's nice to meet you." He had to wear on a smile, disregarding the pleasurable feeling that crept up his arm once his hand touched Leon's. 

"S-so! Ah, what are you here for?" Leon asked, starting to walk alongside Marco. 

"Oh, I'm here on business in a way. For my Mum's, ah, stuff," Marco decided to be somewhat honest with Leon since he couldn't sense anything wrong about the man.

"Oh," Leon observed a slight frown on the beautiful man's face. "You have my condolences, Marco. I have to apologize for the trouble then. I'm sorry to waste your time helping me."

Marco smiled, but with a tired edge to it. Waving him off, "It's complicated. It's been several years, but I'm only here to pick up her books. Don't worry. My time isn't wasted on you." Besides, he wanted to spend some more time with him, for no reason at all. 

"I see, well, say let me help you. It's the least I can do!"

Marco was surprised, "Don't you need to go to the hotel for that phone of yours?"

Leon's eyes widened just a slight, and suddenly his mood dropped. "Bloody hell," he muttered to himself. Then brightened up, "You're right. I do need to go, but ah, perhaps I could treat you to, erm, a dinner or something later? It would be my treat?"

"Oh, no, you don't have to."

"Please, I insist!"

Marco sighed, unable to resist this man's charms, "Okay, but we should probably get your phone first then."

Leon was confused for a moment, "Wait? Don't we need to pick up your mother's books?"

Marco giggled, shaking his head, "There's time. I can do it after I walk you to the hotel. That way you can have my number, you know, maybe to text me? I'd imagine maybe you'd need help not forgetting to do that."

"Oh! Right," Leon mumbled. Sweet Arceus, why the bloody hell he was fumbling around this man like a fool, Leon thought to himself. 

"Then let's go!" Leon said, walking a bit faster, perhaps not wanting the man behind him to see him red-faced. Marco was more than willing to catch up. 

So they, too, blended into the streams of walking dreams.

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

"Happy Birthday!" Nia and Peony shouted with glee, with Nia jumping onto Marco's back to hug him from there while Peony came up, holding up a tray of a small round dark brown cake. 

**_Happy 18th_ ** read the white cursive icing atop the chocolate baked good. 

Marco could feel his heart racing, and yet, his heart was warming up. 

Then tears welled up in his lonely eyes and came spilling down—fresh tears waiting to be let out. 

Peony's face went from joyous to deeply concerned, hurriedly placing down the cake on the nearby table as he asked, "Are you alright, my boy? What's wrong?" 

Suddenly, the slightly heavy presence on his back was gone, and Nia moved around in front of him, "Oh my Arceus, did I hurt you?!" 

Peony and Nia's green eyes were meeting Marco's - he shook his head, wiping the tears away as he got a grip of himself. Feeling more consoled, Marco took a deep breath and let it go. "No, I'm okay." He beamed with happiness and simply hugged the two of them altogether. He was squeezing the life out of them practically. 

"Oh!" and "Oof!" were heard, but the father-daughter duo looked at each other and smiled, hugging Marco all the same. Warm. This was the precious warmth Marco didn't realize he had been missing for a long time. 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was editing this chapter for generic grammatical errors, I realized something. It somewhat didn't make sense for Marco to go on his own, especially to pick up the books that could be shipped over. But I did dream this scene up. I do recall writing some details down in my notes as I try to grasp some fading lines before they go where dreams go. So I left it alone, staying true to my dreams. I do hope this chapter makes sense regarding the actions and events occurring. 
> 
> I did dream of Marco going to the office and getting those books for free. Because I don't think anyone would deny one of their bestseller's only child some free books. I'm sure Marco would later realize he has influence, or at least his name and beauty do, once he gets into social media. 
> 
> I know I did dream of Leon and Marco meeting, with Leon asking for help. I wasn't sure how to make that happen since I could only remember Leon catching Marco in his arms. So I hope I did okay in this part, acknowledging that I contradicted myself and kind of forced this to happen. Marco and Leon will be good friends for a long time before anything happens, though. 
> 
> Another key thing I did dream up was the birthday thing. Super short, but the crucial details burnt onto my brain were the cake and the "family"/group hug. So I hope I did alright here as well. I made it vague to the point that you can't tell if it was at the cabin when they came back or if it was at their townhome because, honestly, I could envision it happening. The dream background for this scene was some fancy dining room, though, and that wasn't realistic. Dreams will always have something distorted or misplaced. I thought it would be nice to have it included here since Nia and Peony would grow a little closer. They're not the sort to be afraid to show their emotions, that's for sure. Marco's different, and I hope the family can help with that. Sometimes it isn't right to keep emotions bottled in. Sometimes a good cry and a deep breath were needed to move on.
> 
> So begins the Wyndon-Hammerlocke Arc.


	7. All is Found (11) / Street Lights (12) / A Memory to Cherish (0.2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this chapter is a major Frozen-inspired scene. What is now aptly named "the Dream Script," I daydreamed about this musical-esque, magical moment. I was thinking about this line, "And in her song, all magic flows," then I started fantasizing about the possibilities I have with that one lyric. Marco singing it and having his powers flow out is… perfect. It makes sense. 
> 
> Glimpsing at the Dream Script, the Wyndon-Hammerlocke Arc will be a favorite for me because it's an exploration of the urban cities and their beautified secrets. It is a given Marco will get to do things, as friends or budding acquaintances, with Leon and Raihan in those two cities. Wyndon, and its futuristic, modern vibe in comparison to Hammerlocke and its regal, ancient atmosphere. 
> 
> I want to slow down and focus more on the human aspect of Marco. Of who Marco is. Before we move on and explore Marco's powers and origins directly. In this chapter, Marco is researching the lores - looking for pieces and crumbs that could lead him to the truth. 
> 
> I'm aiming to pin Marco's character down as someone calm, cautious, but also someone who can get flustered quickly. Marco's a man of character and grace, but he's eighteen. He's going to be a bit gangly and awkward. Still, he will know when to act right and proper. But for now, he's letting his shields down, acting more lax and free. 
> 
> Honestly, I'm so going to rewrite everything when I finished putting out all I have creatively. 
> 
> I hope y'all like this story, if not the concept so far. 
> 
> I undoubtedly will come back and rewrite it all. To be more concise, detailed, and fluent. 
> 
> Oh, and real talk, the Leon and Marco scene in this chapter, was based on my experience. I went out with this guy, mainly because of our undeniable chemistry, but I trusted him quickly, for one night. It was such a fantastic night; I kid you not. We were wandering around the River City, not worrying about our responsibilities for the next day, just talking about our lives in general. 
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte
> 
> (All is Found Male-Version, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_qFrF6Q8R4 / Rabbit in the Headlights, https://genius.com/Michael-oakley-rabbit-in-the-headlights-lyrics)

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

They were in the guest bedroom. 

Marco was sitting on the hardwood floor while Nia relaxed in a cream-colored chair, holding up a book a mere half-foot away from her face. There were stacks of books surrounding Marco on the floor. 

Marco’s initial thought was, "Woah. Mum sure did have a lot of books,” preceded by the thought it would take so much time to finish reading them all. 

Marco believed Damien when he said Mum didn't have much he could ship over, but the last Belmonte heir failed to distinguish that Damien didn't necessarily view books as meaningful possessions. A box of jewelry, a few boxes of dresses, scarves, and a small raggedy blanket that Marco happened to be familiar with. 

There was a strong likelihood the wild Pokémon took off with many things before the dust settled. Ultimately, Damien could only salvage what was left when legally abandoning the Manor. 

Sighing, out of frustration, putting down a book after realizing he couldn't decipher its language. He looked up to Nia, not knowing what to do next. 

Likely sensing Marco’s frustration, "Your mother's pretty cool," Nia flipped around the book in her hands; it was the children's book Nia said she found in storage, Marco recalled. "She wrote this… erm, I think it's a lullaby and incorporated it into the story of a Snow Queen and her younger sister. I can't tell if it's a lullaby or a part of a song. There's a difference, ya know."

As much as Marco loved books, he didn't want to cast his eyes on some odd languages any longer since he was intrigued after hearing Nia’s thoughts. Hence, he asked, "Can I read it?"

Nia nodded, “Sure,” and moved about in her seat so that she could stretch her arm over with the book in hand. Nia dedicated herself to dozens of children's stories Mum wrote while Marco, as a book lover himself, would commit to the many seemingly old, worn-out tomes. Though, there were some fictional, mythical texts scattered about too. 

Observing the cover, a queen was donning a shimmering blue dress with an elegant transparent cape with swirls of ice and snow around her. Squinting, there were some small crystals in the background. 

The crystals seemed familiar, though… but why?

Marco moved on. He flipped through the pages. It was clear that the story was condensed to lines and words children would understand. It had him remembering that Mum did promise to read him her stories when he was young. As he grew a year older, though, he quickly lost interest in those stories so Mum never got to read them to him. This was the reason why Marco didn't know much about them.

Nia told Marco, while he read the story of Snow Queen, that, almost thirteen years ago, there was a minor popular trend for the Snow Queen. She even remembered dressing up like the Snow Queen for a day, but that was such a distant memory.

There were rumors that some major production companies in Kalos wanted to make a movie based on this book. They stopped the production when Mum passed away, though. Simply because there wasn't much to work with in the book, and Mum was the only one who could provide some more lore and details about the Snow Queen's story. Truthfully, Marco would've loved to see that. 

It did make sense why they couldn’t make a movie out in the end. 

Mum's stories were based on stories from the locals and natives' mouths worldwide. Reminiscent of what the famous Brothers Karl did long ago in Unova. It was likely she jotted down the folklore somewhere and that when she passed, her possessions were locked away someplace safe. 

It was then Marco remembered Peony told the two there were only boxes from the Lawson Estate, but not from Mum's former agent, which means that things would become more apparent tomorrow when the package finally arrived. 

Marco did think the movie could be made possible by going after the locals and natives as Mum had, but such a move could be a money-drainer. She was a charming, trustworthy woman who people can trust easily. It was not a surprise she could convince the natives and locals to grant her permission to publish versions of their stories. She likely wasn’t looking to profit off their stories. Instead, she wanted to bring life to them somehow with children’s illustrations and the likes. 

So… they all came to Wyndon, and for what? A heavily filtered children's story and a mere lullaby or two? There were those foreign tomes to investigate as well. So many questions, so little time. Marco’s powers could go haywire any moment, and he needed to figure out how to prevent legendaries or mythicals from going after him. He would not wish any harm to anybody. 

Marco sighed, his eyes landing on the very last line of the book. “ ** _They all lived happily ever after._ **”

That line seemed to taunt him somehow, but his attention was caught by Nia when she pulled out her phone, waving it around a bit, "Erm, maybe I can go to the local library and try to find its source. We'll probably need to refer to any books that have yet to be scanned and uploaded to the Internet. Oh! Perhaps Hammerlocke might be a better place to do it because of all the history there.” Nia said, deep in thoughts, already on her phone - looking up the vital information. 

Marco sighed, knowing that once Nia was committed to something, she was gone from this world, "Okay, thank you. I'll reread this and see if anything's clicking or something." 

Nia made a noise as if to confirm she heard him. 

Marco went through the short story again, but there was something about this particular scene midway through the book. A father singing to his two daughters, on the bed, with his girls cuddled up to him. 

Carefully reading the lyrics, there was a line that stuck out to him: " ** _and in her song, all magic flows_**." Huh. That seemed interesting. Then something within him surged, so he opened his mouth, surprised at what came out. 

His voice was soft, singing:

**_"Where the North wind meets the sea_ **

**_There's a river full of memory_ **

**_Sleep, my darling, safe and sound_ **

**_For in this river, all is found"_ **

Marco was closing his eyes as he sang; he could feel his heart's efforts in it. It was pouring its soul into it. 

Then he could sense his powers awakening again. 

Opening his eyes, surprised, the ice crystals were forming shapes and outlines of beings and places. Mountains! Trees. Horses? Notably, the crystals looked just like the ones on the book cover. 

Still, he kept on singing carefully as he read off the lyrics. 

**_"In her waters, deep and true_ **

**_Lie the answers and a path for you_ **

**_Dive down deep into her sound_ **

**_But not too far or you'll be drowned"_ **

After he looked around, his blue eyes meeting Nia’s familiar green hues. She was holding her phone up - as if recording. 

**_"Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear_ **

**_And in her song, all magic flows_ **

**_But can you brave what you most fear?_ **

**_Can you face what the river knows?"_ **

Marco flipped the page, and it was the end of the lullaby. The father was stepping out the door, looking back to his two young daughters - one platinum blonde and the other strawberry blonde - before closing it quietly. 

**_"Where the North wind meets the sea_ **

**_There's a mother full of memory_ **

**_Come, my darling, homeward bound_ **

**_When all is lost, then all is found"_ **

Then all the crystals and its outlines of shapes faded away into nothingness, leaving behind dazzling glitters that would too vanish. 

Nia sniffled, tears rolling down her cheeks, stopping the recording. "Um, wow. That was… That was beautiful. You have such an angelic voice." 

Marco placed the book down, pulling Nia onto the floor from the chair right into his arms, asking, "What's wrong, Nia?"

Pulling back from the hug, she shook her head, wiping away her tears. "I’m starting to remember it better now. Mum used to sing it sometimes when I was a wee girl. Hmm, no wonder why it was bloody hard to remember. Those first years were nothing to me, but they were precious to the people who were there for them. Mum, Dad... even Uncle... Memories are a tricky thing, ya know. You only remember your version of things, and sometimes they're a bit distorted by your point of view. I guess… I guess what I’m trying to say is that I miss Mum all the damn time.” Her wettened gaze dropped for a moment before looking back up, “Do you… Do you feel the same thing? A-about your parents?"

Marco looked at her with a sad smile. "Of course. I miss my parents every minute of my life, but I've accepted my losses and moved on with their memories in me. I want to live a better life because of them. I want to do so many things..." he breathed out the last sentence.

Nia looked at him with a distinct look that Marco couldn’t quite decipher. "You're amazing, ya know. You didn't freak out about your sudden powers. You didn't freak out about the fact that you're halfway around the world. Far from the place you wanted to be for your journey."

Marco tried to go for a grin, but he couldn't, so he looked out the window, peering into the open blue sky, "I suppose my experiences shaped me to remain calm in almost all situations. I can't quite recall when I freaked out, except maybe the whole Zarude incident and that ice spike attack. I find that sometimes you have to accept things for what they are because it's what you do afterward that matters."

Nia nodded, “I like that,” then she checked her phone. “Say, shouldn’t you get ready for your night out?” 

Marco blinked twice before hurriedly glimpsing the time on his phone. Standing up, he apologized to Nia, saying it was time to go. 

Nia laughed, waving him off, reminding Marco of the specific directions to a local boutique since he wanted some fresh batch of clothes. It was a blessing in disguise that his Pokécard worked internationally since Marco only anticipated being in Sinnoh when he got the new card. 

Also, earlier before Peony headed out to someplace, muttering about a tower. The green-eyed man made sure to hand over the elusive Galarian “Style Card” to allow Marco to shop for luxurious or rare clothing.

Knowing he would take some time to choose his new appropriate wardrobe for Wyndon and Freezington and the night’s cozy attire; hence, he planned to be at the boutique hours before meeting Leon somewhere. The location hadn’t been decided yet, but there was still time. In any case, this would be a needed break from their combined efforts today. 

After ordering his three pokémon to behave and listen to Nia, Marco set off towards the boutique for a big and expensive shop. 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

Marco walked inside, looking around with a well-disguised shake to his body, then he caught the person of interest's eyes. Those yellow eyes reflecting the dim light of the waiting room - radiant. Marco walked to him with a shy grin on his face, his unbuttoned collarless coat billowing about a little as his cheeks were flushed from the cold outside. 

They greeted each other, being led down a maze of hallways to a room hidden away from the eyes of many. They hung their coats on the rack stand nearby and were directed to their seats. 

A white-clothed table and two wooden chairs on either side of the table. A table for two, but this wasn't a date, Marco understood. 

Nia texted him earlier that the restaurant was modestly frequented by celebrities and stars alike. So there were bound to be hallways of doors, leading to rooms reserved for the sake of secrecy and privacy. 

Marco didn’t tell Nia or Peony who he was hanging out with, but rather just somebody he helped who somehow wanted to repay him. 

Leon would always be in the spotlight, and Marco did not want to be on the front covers the next morning. So he was okay with this arrangement, even if it did seem like a romantic setting. It almost reminded him of how Damien tried to set up some meetings between him and some other candidates. Damien would quickly learn to stop doing that. 

Clearing his head of that memory, Marco wondered who could be dining at the place - singers? Models? Actors? Just who could they be? 

But one thing he knew was there was a celebrity sitting in front of him, who was ordering for the two of them since Marco asked Leon to. 

Once the server left the room, leaving the two to their privacy. 

Marco took the chance to sit upright and proper, hands folded over each other on the laps. He then opened his mouth, a certain sparkle to his eyes, "So, Leon, I didn't realize you are Galar's current champion." 

Oh, how did he secretly enjoy the shocked facial expression the man had on. "Oh! You figured it out?" Leon awkwardly chuckled, scratching the back of his head. 

Marco realized he hadn't had the chance to take in Leon's change of appearance. Gone was the muted colored disguise. Instead, Len had on some quality clothes, though still wearing a black SnapBack from earlier. Dark blue button-down and a pair of light grey trousers, with a black coat that was already taken off and hung up by the door. The colors were certainly picked to accentuate Leon's stunning eyes. 

Marco figured Leon wasn't the sort to pick out his clothing. 

Leon came off as this sporty individual who didn't care about what he wore - but Leon was the people's champion. He had to dress up and be a model for his people, especially the budding trainers and young children. 

Growing up, Marco understood that clothes had hidden yet clear messages. That what they wore spoke for them. Here, Leon was simply dressed to impress, and Marco was easily impressed. He understood that maybe Leon wanted to make a better impression instead of the hoodie-sweatpants combination Marco had in his head.

"Mm-hmm, I couldn't help it when I saw many, and I emphasize many," Marco tilted his head a little, eyes softened and friendly, "signs, posters, magazine covers of you all over Wyndon. Tell me, were you ever going to tell me? Hmm?" One of his thin white eyebrows was raised in the name of curiosity - curious to hear the other's response, to see his reaction.

Leon leaned forward, eyes earnest, "I'm incredibly sorry for not telling you. I just, well, I wanted to feel normal, even for half an hour at the time."

Marco grinned, "Please don't fret, Leon. It's okay. I suppose I can understand and relate." After receiving a look that politely asked for an explanation, Marco added, "I'm from a wealthy family who… happened to draw and seek lots of attention, so I understand the need for normalcy. You just want to relax with someone who doesn't know everything about you. So, I don't have social media for the record, nor do I spend much time online. Rather, you can find me in the libraries reading those paper books. I'm telling you this because I don't know about you, but I hope you can be normal with me." Leon was visibly relaxed. "I truly don't know anything about you, except that you're apparently the Unbeatable Champion of Galar."

At that last sentence, Leon began to stammer, "W-well, not that unbeatable. I just did my one-thousandth battle months ago!"

"Oh, that's amazing. What did you do afterward then?"

"Oh, well, I called home and some friends. Checking in on them and all. I had to do some photoshoot after that, I believe."

Marco's heart knew the hidden truth behind Leon's words. That he didn't get to celebrate with his family and friends, that Leon wished he could've done that. "Do you mind telling me about your family?"

Leon brightened up at the question, eager to answer. "Sure! So I've got a younger brother. His name is—"

It was a sparkling night filled with gentle waves of laughter, comfortable smiles, and there was a walk to remember. 

They were suspended in the Wyndonian's street lights, Marco questioning everything and anything about Leon's career, childhood, and family. Leon, in turn, would ask about Marco's interests in books, as well as his life. 

"Wait, you're really born with white hair and everything?" Leon was surprised. 

Marco rolled his eyes, hands in the coat's pockets, "Says the man with purple hair and stark yellow eyes." 

Leon pouted, "So mean!" 

Marco scoffed, "You wish I were. Just pointing out an astute observation. But if you're dying to know, then yes, I was born this way." 

——

"Wow, you almost drowned when you were seven?" Marco inquired, sitting on a bench next to Leon, watching the leaves swirl around on the paved path. 

"Yeah, it was a bit scary, but luckily, Sonia saved my arse when she asked her Gran's Chewtle to pull me out of there."

Marco was tempted to tell Leon his near-death experiences in turn, but that would be too much. He couldn't reveal anything about his powers - that he was dangerous to be around if he was under attack by some powerful Pokémon. 

So he said, looking over at him, "Well, life is too short, and we have to be grateful that we're alive to this day."

Leon's eyes seemed to be searching for something on Marco's face, even in this subdued blue light - but nodded all the same, "I agree."

——

It was after an hour of mindlessly walking around the city in the dark that Marco voiced out his thought, "You have no idea where we are, right?"

Leon nervously chuckled, opening his mouth but closing when he saw Marco raising his eyebrow to pout then, red-faced, "No, I don't." 

Marco chuckled, "Lucky for you, I'm here to remind you that you have a beautiful piece of modern technology with you. Rotom?"

Both of their phones flew out of their pockets, awakened and willing to serve. "Leon's Rotom? Can you please help him go the right way home?" 

"Yes, sir! Bzzt!" Leon's Rotom Phone buzzed about happily, already configuring a route back to wherever Leon was residing. 

"Say, don’t you have an apartment here?" Marco wondered. 

Leon shook his head, "Not really, though I could envision myself having one here. I'm usually at the hotel for two or three days in this city."

Marco hummed, his eyes straying over to the city light. "I think it might be wise to invest in an apartment or a house. Could save you some money in the long term."

Leon closed his eyes as if to think, "I suppose that's true. I just have a suite reserved for me there, though."

Marco pointed out something, "But it's not your place. It's not another home to you." 

Leon stilled for a second, only to keep moving afterward, following after his floating Rotom Phone. Sighing, "That's… That's true. Okay! Consider me convinced. I’ll be finding my place then. I believe Oleana had been suggesting that idea for a good while now."

Marco nodded in understanding, "I'd imagine you're always needed everywhere, right? Assisting in fighting against rogue Dynamaxed Pokémon and all?" 

"Yes, honestly, it's hard work. It's different from what I expected when I became champion, but…" Leon looked over at the stray people walking about at this time of night. "It gave me a purpose. I love battling trainers. I love to keep getting stronger… At the same time, I love helping my people. If it's my responsibility as this country's strongest trainer to fight against rogue Dynamaxed Pokémon, then so be it. I'll be protecting my family too."

"I think that's noble of you, Leon." 

"Really? You think so?"

Marco smiled, "I believe so."

They looked at each other perhaps a tad too long before it got awkward. Leon cleared his throat, looking away. 

"So! I'm sorry to have taken up your time like this. I have to admit, though, it has been nice just to relax and not have to worry about anything else."

"Well, that's what day-offs are for, aren't they?" 

"Ah, unfortunately, sometimes champions are that busy and get called on their day-offs. Actually," Leon blinked, as if something was dawning on him, "I'm surprised nothing has happened today." 

"I guess it was the hands of Fate that made it happen. Um, Leon, I know I'm not one of your people, but… I think I speak for them when I say you deserved today off. Tomorrow's a new day, and you can get back to your role well-rested and ready." 

Though Leon was slow to respond initially, as if hesitant, letting out a breathy "Yeah…" 

Marco glimpsed at the time of his Phone that he admittedly forgot about, floating alongside Leon's. As if mirroring the two owners. 

"Well, Leon, thank you for your time. I really enjoyed the dinner and the walk outside. You know, I have to say, Wyndon is pretty amazing. Thank you for taking me out," Marco bowed a little. Then he lifted his pointer finger to Leon's phone. "Please keep an eye on that Rotom and get home safely. If not, then I'm sure your Charizard could help you. It's a shame I couldn't meet him."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, and I'm sure Charizard is too. He'd love to meet you. But you know why I can't let him out."

Marco giggled, "Of course, of course. So popular the two of you. But I honestly find it hard to believe that Charizard is a working Poké model."

Leon groaned, "Oh, no, I shouldn't have told you about that. Don't feed his ego. He's vain as it is."

Marco had to laugh a little about that. "Okay, I need to go. I'm leaving Wyndon in just a few days, and I have a big day tomorrow."

"Right. Say, you'll be heading out to Hammerlocke, yeah?"

Marco nodded, "Yes, why?"

Leon shook his head, "Nothing.” Then Leon stopped and considered what he wanted to say for a second, saying, “Well, actually, my best mate is the gym leader there. I can give you his numbers, and he might be able to help you out. A proper guide around the city there."

Marco was slightly surprised, "Oh… well, okay. I can't say no to your help. Thank you." 

"Brilliant! Will you be okay on your way back?" 

Marco pointed out the distant train station that came into view, "Leon, I'm more than capable of finding my way in an unfamiliar city. You, my friend, I'm afraid…" he drawled off with a wink. 

Leon tolerated it, cheeks flushed, "Right, there's that. Rubbish with directions."

Marco nodded, "There's no way you can get lost because the hotel's over there. Just stay on this road and keep going straight. Oh, again, thank you, Leon."

Leon smiled at him, waving him goodbye, "I'll text you when I'm there." 

In the end, they were two eighteen-year-olds who were carefree for a moment in time. 

(Unbeknownst to the two, there was an inevitable paparazzi secretly photographing as well as some brief clips of them talking on the park bench circulating the media.) 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

"Vulpix! Eevee! Come here, please!" Marco called out from his bed. He had just woken up from his much-needed nap after a half-day research. Now that he was refreshed, he was excited for what was to come. 

He would never get over hearing the cute, gentle echoes of their footsteps as the girls ran into the guest bedroom. Those two were always competing with each other. Fortunately, Roselia almost always watched after them, ensuring they were healthy and unharmed. 

Marco smiled at them, gently running his hands through their furs the moment they jumped onto the bed, settling down on either side of his blanketed legs. They purred with satisfaction, though Marco could see in their half-lidded eyes that they were wondering what was going on.

After a moment’s pause, just soaking in the contentment and peace, Marco spoke up, "So… both of you are here because I think it is time we come up with a name for you two. Yeah?" 

It took a breath but in the next "Vee!" and "Vul!" could be heard simultaneously. 

The eighteen-year-old fondly chuckled, "Well, since your dad was named Perseus, and your moms were named after characters from the princess fairytales. I figured…” Marco had to pause, not wanting to give in to the emotions. “Well, I figured it would be right to give you two names that honor both. Feasible Greek origins, and the meaning or story of your moms' name.” 

Shifting his head a little to the left, looking right at the Fox Pokémon, “Vulpix, would you like the name of Venus? In this instance, she's the Roman goddess of Beauty, but she is also a Greek goddess Aphrodite. As for the meaning, well, your mother was Belle. French for beauty. Yeah? Then you're Venus now, my darling."

Vulpix leaped up to lick at Marco’s face as if kissing him all over in happiness. The Belmonte heir laughed, calming Venus down, with soft words and praises. Once Vulpix settled next to Marco, looking over at Eevee with glee, clearly eager to hear her half-sibling’s new name. 

Bearing witness to this warmed Marco’s heart, the love between sisters is simply something else. He cleared his throat, "As for you, Eevee, your mother was Rhodes, short for Rhodopis. It was an ancient story of Cinderella, but she was named because of how Mum found her.”

Marco stopped, almost letting the raw story slip out from his mouth. Vulpix and Eevee were far too young to hear about Pokémon abuse. Almost smoothly, he continued, “So, would you like the nickname of Cinder, short for Cinderella? Yeah? Beautiful.”

He sighed, hugging the two to his body, looking slightly down to them, “The two of you are so strong and amazing. I-I,” his voice almost cracked, “I know… I know you did not have much time with your mothers, but I know they are proud of you two. Your father is proud as well. You two will grow into such fine Pokémon like your moms, I just know it."

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -


	8. A Memory to Regret (0.3) / the Eyes of a Father (13) / Battle (14)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this a specific part of this chapter got me teared up.
> 
> I had to stop and take breaks from writing because it had me remember my father's interactions. I consider myself blessed to have such a loving, caring, overprotective man in my life - I look up to him, and I will never waste any precious minute I still have left with him. Fuck. My eyes just got wet right now, because I don't want to think about my parents getting older. All I know is that I don't take things for granted. That I won't want to. 
> 
> I suppose it's reasonable to project my traits and experiences onto Marco. For he is a part of me, and I am a part of him, too. Sadly, I am not rich, though. 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is, again, exploring the wonders and darkness of Wyndon. I'm switching it up by exploring Peony's memory, what happened when he went out in the previous chapter. 
> 
> But I want to end it on a good feeling, hence, a lovely day out with the family that Marco will come to love and cherish. 
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

It was foreboding. 

Looking up to the open sky, barely seeing the top dome of the Rose Tower. 

As he stood there, eyes up, he could hear the Cosmos workers bustling about. Some talked about the trains, some were talking about the construction, and their voices blended into a disjointed noise. Something about it all was just off. 

By the Arceus, Peony did not have a good feeling about this. 

It was the same chills that silently crept upon his body the last time he was here. That grey November with fresh snow falling. Screaming matches, and more distance. Here he was, two years later, as January neared its end and his bones were tired. 

Dammnit, he didn't want to leave his home, wanting to stay behind and help his children out. But it had been some time Rose reached out to him, so he couldn't help giving in to his desire to help his remaining family. But that desire equated to an ember, slowly dissipating as the seasons change and weathers make their marks. 

Peony had a feeling that flame would snuff out today, but maybe something within him held out hope for Rose. That perhaps something could be mended. 

That maybe what Peony had to sacrifice wouldn't be for anything. 

As much as it hurts, he didn't know why he would try to reconnect in the first place. 

Hell, he didn't have to reconnect with Rose anymore. He could be there to hear him out and stay up to date on Rose's twisted state of mind. 

Sighing, hurriedly walking inside to get away from the chill in the air, even though he was slowly getting used to it.

Entering the large, open space, Peony could tell the lobby did not change much. He thought the rose bushes behind the glass floor were odd as always. Feeling drained even further, he looked around for someone particular; he caught sight of them and internally irked. 

Walking to her, he greeted with faked enthusiasm, "My, I see you still don't look a day over thirty, Secretary Oleana!" 

Oleana looked up from her tablet with a seething glare, "And I see you still lack Chairman Rose's intelligence and grace, Peony." 

"Gahaha! As charming as ever, Miss Oleana," Peony smiled, his eyebrow almost twitched in annoyance. Almost. 

"Ugh, you know where your brother's office is, unless," Oleana eyed him, "you need help getting there?"

"Nope, I'm dandy," he winked. 

Olean rolled her eyes, reaching her hand into her coat's pockets, and pulled out a keycard. "When you get back down, do feel free to hand it over to any one of our receptionists. Farewell, Peony." 

With the keycard in his hand, Peony headed towards the elevator and held it up to the pad. The doors immediately opened, and he walked inside. Even now, he could not get over how large this platform was. 

To this day, he failed to understand why the elevator took up much space. Since the keycard was authorized only to Peony's level, the elevator was temporarily locked out of the system and was already about to reach it. How did Peony know this? Well, the former champion knew Oleana would never let grant him access to anywhere else. That and Oleana would not let him waste her precious Chairman's time. 

The doors opened to a familiar hallway. 

All he had to do was walk through it, turn right, and straight then he would come upon it. 

Knocking on the doors, he could hear his brother's voice. "Come in!"

With gathered courage, he held up the keypad so the doors would open for him. 

Peony almost stopped in his tracks once he saw his brother sitting in that black leather-bounded executive chair. Rose read some documents in his hands, looking up when he realized the person he let in didn't speak up. 

Somewhat surprised, Rose placed down the papers and smiled up at his younger brother. "Peony! You're here!" then he checked the time on his watch, "Right on time, too! Tell me, how have you been? Nia been well?"

Peony stared for a second longer before answering with a hesitant smile and nodded, "Erm, I've been well, brother. Nia is doin' great as always." 

"Splendid! I've meant to contact you often, but ah, I'm afraid I'm up to my neck in these sorts. Oh, would you care for a cuppa?"

Peony shook his head, "No, I expect this visit to be short anyway."

The smile on Rose's face didn't falter a bit. "Of course, Peony. Stay however long you like, even short. Feel free to sit down," Rose motioned over to the couches and a glass table in the middle of his office space. 

Sweet Arceus, the office still gave him the creeps, the younger of the two realized. 

But Peony opted to walk closer and stood a foot away from the sleek looking walnut colored desk. Some distance between him and Rose. 

"Rose, why did you message me?"

"Ah," Rose let out a joyful sound, "That's more like my brother." His older brother seemed to observe Peony for a second or two before asking, "Now, what was this about the boy you found at the Crown Shrine?"

Rose's eyes were shimmering with something... Though, Peony wasn't sure what - interest?

Carefully, he answered, "Yeah, I found him all passed out over there. Teleportation went wrong, ya know." 

"Oh? Was that so? I do hope he's fit as a fiddle now."

Peony nodded, "Yes, he is. Nia and I took him under our care." 

"How generous of you as always. And what about the Shrine encased in ice? Were you able to figure out the cause?"

Something within Peony flared up like an alarm going off. **WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!** "Yes, erm, there were swarms of Frostmoths near the peak. I'm sure one of those lab monkeys would be reportin' Nia's works to you shortly." 

Rose let out a quick laugh, "Oh, my dear brother. Nothing gets past you, don't they?"

Peony's eyes hardened into steel, a familiar stare he would give to his brother. "Of course not. Your company seems to be doing quite well. _Too_ well, if I must say." 

Rose hummed, "I can't help it if the people of Galar are enjoying what my company has to offer. It's all for the sake of the future, as you are aware." 

"Of course, I'm aware, and how are you farin' in your role as the Chairman of the Pokémon League? I'm sure you're enjoyin' it." 

"Why I hope you aren't still holding onto that grudge. Do remember I did offer you my position when you quit." 

Peony was starting to become more irritated the longer he was around his older brother. Sweet Arceus, his head was itching to pound for a bit. 

He was crossing his arms, scoffing, "Never mind that. Let's cut to the point. Why did you ask me to come?"

Rose shook his head slightly as if disappointed, tsking. "Always so direct. But well," he leaned forward on his desk, hands tucked up beneath his chin with a wild look in his eyes. "Have you heard of Eternatus?"

Surprised, his mind slithered back to those bedtime stories their grandfather used to tell them. "Why?" His eyes narrowed.

Rose chuckled, "Oh, why am I even asking? Of course, you have! You were there when Grandpa told us those stories. You were there when the town was wiped out. But listen, I believe Eternatus was to blame. I have the evidence."

Inhaling sharply, "What?! How do you know that?"

Rose lifted his pointer finger, "One, our town was famous for mining Galar particles." The middle finger was then added, "Two, Eternatus seem to appear at areas of highly dense Dynamax energy. My researchers have valid reasons to conclude that Eternatus attacked our town to consume the energy. It seems Eternatus can expel energy as well. It's an endless cycle. Therefore, we could capture it and put its powers to use for Galar's future." 

Peony was speechless. Then he was pissed. "What the bloody hell do you mean by capture? Eternatus is a Pokémon all the same. You know how I feel about Poké abuse! Are you mad, brother?!"

Rose sighed, lamenting, "I was hoping you would come to understand my point of view. At the very least, you leave this tower with an answer you've wanted for the past twenty-six years. Eternatus was to blame."

Peony huffed through his nose, "So what? That's life. That's nature. If it was Eternatus, then we both know either legendary Pokémon attack or protect settlements worldwide. Pokémon are unpredictable, which is why our champions could only help defend while our people rebuild. Never was there any reason to contain them and force them to our will. They're legendary for a reason, Rose! Powers of the Arceus above. Powers we should never mess around with. You know this already, damn it."

"Hmm, that may be true. I just can't believe you wouldn't want to capture Eternatus, the very being that killed our beloved grandfather and friends. Everything we loved in our hometown was gone because of Eternatus."

Peony took a breath or two, trying to reign in his temper. "Listen, I've had so many years to come to peace with it. You are right; almost a whole town of people was gone. Killed. But I came to peace with it." 

Then he motioned to the two of them, "Look at us, Rose. We're in our forties. We still don't agree on the same things. We…" he sighed, "we can't be brothers. I… I wish I didn't have to live without you, but I can live without you in my life. So please, leave my daughter alone, Rose. I'll stay out of your business, and you stay out of mine. Don't even bother looking into my boy's business, too," Peony hissed, already just a step away from the office door.

Pausing for a moment, lingering in the doorway, "Farewell, Rose. And a word of advice... Please just... just stop focusing on Eternatus. Stop focusing on Galar's future. A thousand years is too distant of a thing to worry about. Just focus on the now." With that, Peony looked at Rose for the last time and stepped out of the office. 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

Peony unintentionally fell asleep on the couch with the telly on. Soon, Marco was inside, pulling his shoes off to place them inside a metal shoe rack nearby.

The moment the door closed, Peony blinked himself awake. Rousing up, visions blurred, "Huh? Oh, is that you, my boy?"

Marco seemed genuinely surprised to see him awake. Peony understood why as he was turning the telly off. Typically, Peony was a heavy sleeper, admitting that he had slept through his alarms sometimes before. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

Peony shook his head, wearing a tired smile. "You're fine, lad." Then he picked himself up off the couch, "I didn't mean to sleep on this thing, or else I would've woken up the next morning with back pain."

Marco appeared relieved to hear that, "Oh, okay. Then shouldn't you be going to bed now, Peony?"

"Oh! Erm, yes," clearing his throat, feeling a tad awkward but more coherent, "I should. But um, h-how was your night out?"

It took a second, but Marco blinked himself into the realization that Peony probably was staying up for him. He didn't know how to feel about that, but... his heart warmed for a bit. "It was good. Really good. The dinner was great, and we walked a fair bit after that."

Peony's face slightly reddened, stammering a bit, "Good, uh, good. Erm, so is this lad, someone you're into?"

Marco jerked back a little, face as red as a strawberry, squeaking, "N-no! I mean, yes! Wait, no. Please forget what I said!" 

Peony stepped closer as if wanting to hug but was unsure, "Um, I know we haven't known each other long, but I want you to know that who you like is okay with me. I want you to feel safe here, with Nia and me." 

Peering into the eyes of a father, "Oh," Marco breathed out. Something was prickling his eyes. Peony saw it before Marco realized, moving closer to thumb away the stray tear rolling down. Placing his other hand atop the boy's soft hair, almost ruffling it up, "Hey, lad. Please don't cry. I just want you to know you're accepted."

Marco breathed in and out, nodding, "Thank you." His voice was tight and meek. "B-but, um, it wasn't a date or anything like that."

Peony's eyebrows were raised, "Oh? Is that what the kids are saying these days? Sure, sure," he winked. 

Mortified, Marco squawked, "Peony! I swear it wasn't. Oh my Arceus."

"Gahaha! You don't have to lie to me, my boy. But that's alright, I understand," the man dared to smirk while Marco wanted to melt into the floor. 

"Ah!" Marco internally screamed, was Heaven the destination his soul was departing his body to? 

"Oh! Right, would you tell me the other lad's name, if you don't mind? I'd love to know the name of the man who put a smile on your face tonight. You deserve to be happy. I hope you know that."

Marco nodded, his eyes wet again. "Thanks," his voice cracked. Clearing it, he said, "Um, apparently, it was Leon. You know, the Galar champion Leon."

The smile on Peony's face dropped. "Wait, what?" 

Marco didn't see Peony's reaction because he was hanging up his coat in the closet nearby. "Yeah! It was him. I didn't believe it was happening at first, but nope, it was definitely him. Oh, Peony? Are you okay?"

The man was lost in thoughts, crossed arms, and his right foot was tapping against the floor relatively fast but not loud. "Hmm? Oh, yes, yes, I'm fine, my boy. Erm, I hope he was a gentleman to you." 

Marco chuckled, "Don't worry. He's just a friend, Peony. But yeah, he's been great to me tonight. I think we'll be great friends." Glancing down to the time on his phone, and a notification popped up, Marco's cheeks pinked a bit, "Oh, I'm sorry, but I have to bid you a good night. Please make sure you get to bed, Peony. I hope your back doesn't hurt tomorrow morning."

Just like that, Marco went up the stairs while Peony stood there, eyeing the space that Marco occupied seconds ago. 

So many thoughts ran through his head. 

Was this intentional? 

Rose practically handpicked that lad to be champion. Though, Peony begrudgingly admitted Leon could easily be a champion with his endorsement if Rose hadn't taken up the Chairman role. 

Ugh. 

Sod that lad for his poor sense of direction. Mustard should've endorsed him instead of Rose. The result was, all the same, the lad was clearly deserving of the title. 

But how did Leon know about Marco? Did Rose tell him? 

Peony shook his head. That didn't make sense. Granted, he could tell Rose and Leon had some sort of close relationship. The mentor-mentee kind. Rose was probably the only person Leon could rely on for anything regarding his role as a champion. Simply because all of the formers were gone, except for Peony and Master Mustard - the critical thing was Peony did not want to have anything to do with Pokémon League the moment Rose became Chairman. That and Mustard, that bloody bastard, was merely a placeholder as the champion, inking his name as the oldest and technically longest-reigning champion in Galar history. 

Sighing, his head freakin' hurts from thinking about this. He had met Leon once before, and Peony's instincts sensed nothing malicious about him. A young man with a good heart, he figured. But Leon seemed the sort who could be subtly manipulated, which Rose was perfectly capable of accomplishing. 

Truthfully, Peony prayed to Arceus that Leon wasn't spying for Rose on Marco... that it was just coincidences. That Peony wouldn't have to witness such lasting sadness on his boy's face. That gorgeous smile was a rarity, and Peony could tell Marco was happy tonight. 

Only Arceus above knew how everything would play out. Peony hoped everything would turn out okay, and Rose wouldn't be doing anything crazy anytime soon. Time would tell, though. 

Thinking about time, Peony glanced up at the clock placed in the living room. Cursing, it was late, and the man could feel his body begging for sleep. 

So he too went up the stairs, slipping into the shadows of the night.

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

The package arrived as expected, but the information was far too much for Marco to sift through. Emma Belmonte certainly was a brilliant woman in her right. 

Sporadic details, no coherent orders, but there are some sources if a few Mum wrote down. Seeing her scrawls got Marco misty-eyes at first, but he pushed through because he needed answers. 

He was desperate for answers to questions he had. What was singing to him? Why did his powers awaken now? How did he have these powers in the first place? What was the truth about the Belmonte bloodline? Mum may not have been a Belmonte, but she married into one, and Marco knew she would have written her thoughts somewhere. 

There were those diaries too, but Marco couldn't find the will to open them for whatever reason. They were personal to Mum, and reading them felt invasive. Nia advised him to read them when he was ready - that he shouldn't push himself. So instead, they spent a significant portion of their day reading foreign tomes, looking through in-depth notes and observations alongside former drafts of books Mum published or haven't published. 

Eventually, Nia suggested a long break, or rather a picnic at the nearby park on top of it. Marco loved the idea, so there they were, the trio set out to the verdant setting that took up lots of space this deep within the neighborhood. 

Peony had the baby Pokémon walking alongside him while he was carrying a basket of their meals. Marco was carrying a small cooler full of few drinks - granted, Marco could chill their beverages, but that was always risky. Sometimes he accidentally froze them. It was Nia who suggested bringing the cooler stuffed with ice instead. 

From afar, Marco noted some trainers were battling on the available fields. There were families and couples and children out and about. The weather wasn't that bad, perhaps the wind still had some bite to it, but it felt fresh for the moment. 

Nia noticed where Marco was looking and proceeded to comment, "Say, weren't you about to go on your Pokémon journey?"

"Yes, I was supposed to, but I absolutely have to take a break from that."

Nia agreed, "Definitely. But say, fancy a battle with me?"

Surprised, Marco stopped in his tracks, "Wait, really?"

"Yeah! I'll have you know I'm an excellent trainer. I can give you some pointers! This could also be great practice for when you go off on the journey eventually."

Marco took a moment to think about it but ultimately accepted when Peony overheard and jumped in, advocating Nia's point. "Okay! Let's do it!"

"Brilliant! I've been looking forward to battlin' that gorgeous Roselia of yours. He'd be the first shiny I ever fought."

"Ah, that's right," Marco blinked, "I almost forgot shiny Pokémon are really rare."

"You know, some people do say it's good luck when you own one."

Marco fondly chuckled, "I don't know about that, but I do feel lucky to have Roselia as my first partner. I can't imagine not having him in my life."

His mind then immediately went through stills of moments he spent playing with Budew growing up. 

Seven, on the swings with Budew. 

Nine, reading a medieval book to Budew. 

Thirteen, Budew comforted him when Mum passed away. 

Fifteen, Budew evolving right before his very eyes. 

Now, at eighteen, Roselia was out on the empty battlefield, letting out a battle cry. 

Peony announced himself the referee of the battle, and Nia threw out a pokéball, "Boldore!" shouted a three-legged creature. 

The budding trainer hasn't had the opportunity to look through Galar's Pokédex, but at first glance, Marco immediately thought rock-typing. That meant Roselia would have the type advantage, but that didn't mean they should let their guards down. 

"Roselia, stay cautious! Pay attention to Boldore and your surroundings. I believe in you," Marco exclaimed, confident in what he was saying. 

Roselia looked back, nodding once, before turning his head around with a determined look. 

Peony lifted his arm, "It's a one-on-one battle between Nia and Marco. The first one to faint loses the battle, and the other side wins. Let the battle begin!" His loud voice carried over the field, his arm falling to the side while Venus and Cinder were cheering them on next to Peony's legs. 

"Roselia, use Leech Seeds!" was simultaneous with "Boldore, sandstorm!"

Powerful streams of sands were unleashed in spirals around Boldor - suddenly, the field was covered in brewing sand, and the sun was blocked out. The seeds were knocked away by the strong wind. 

At this, he ordered, "Roselia, quick, Rain Dance."

Nia shouted, "Boldore! Don't let Roselia get away with it. Stop him with a full-on tackle." 

Growing up, Marco learned how to dance, thanks to Mum. Whenever he had the time, he taught Budew how to dance too. This was clearly paying off when Roselia expertly dodged Boldore with a jump and a spin. 

Using the wind-powered by the sandstorm, pushing through the pain, Roselia danced around beautifully. Effortlessly dodging Boldore's onslaught of attacks. 

Then storm clouds formed just above the field - dampening the sands, leading them to fall flat on the ground. They were too heavy to be floating into the air. 

Nia was visibly frustrated but exhilarated. "That's the stuff! Alright, Boldore, rock polish!" 

"Perfectly done, Roselia, use mega drain!"

Roselia let out a stream of visibly green energy that stretched out to Boldore, sapping away its energy to restore Roselia's health. 

In an instant, the thorn Pokémon looked slightly better than before - less hurt than before, for sure. 

"Hang in there, Bold! Alright, it's time for the stone edge!" 

"Watch your steps! It's time to spread some of that love around!" 

Roselia did get hit by one of the stones that spiked out of the ground. But then the clouds of dust settled; Nia gasped when she saw what was scattered all over the muddy ground due to the pouring rain. 

Toxic spikes! 

The spikes were lodged in the muddy sludge, slowly moving around in the pooling mud and wet sands, so Boldore was stuck in its position. Nia tensed up for a bit before making a choice, "Boldore, use rock blast!"

The three-legged beast let out a cry as its body had on a light blue shine. Three soaking wet boulders were pulled out of the ground and started hurling towards Roselia. 

Marco's heart was pounding. "Roselia, use protect! Then magical leaf as soon as you're able."

Two of the boulders hit the shimmering barrier dead on while the third missed it, crashing elsewhere. While specks of dust were billowing about, suddenly out came a set of radiant leaves arching towards Boldore. 

Nia called out, "Oh, no, dodge it!" But then she forgot about the toxic spikes, "Wait, no!" 

But it was too late Boldore got hit by the magic leaf attack, and such impact pushed the rock-type Pokémon onto some of the toxic spikes - effectively poisoning him. 

"I'm sorry! Can you still get up?"

While weakened, Boldore let out another cry - standing up with remaining strength. But alas, Roselia appeared out of nowhere, delivering the final blow with a weather ball gathered from the raindrops. 

Peony couldn't believe what he was seeing. Marco had so much potential, but Nia was his daughter. Ugh, he couldn't dare cheer for either one of them, so he stayed out of it. Clearing his throat, "Boldore is unable to battle! Roselia wins, so the winner of this match goes to Marco."

Suddenly, the rain dance effect went away while Roselia shared some of its energy with Boldore, successfully awakening the beast. 

A weak "Boldore?" could be heard, and Nia was there in the next second, seemingly hugging it. "Oh, Boldore, you did so great. Here, have a sitrus berry and a good rest. You deserve it."

With a red beam of light and a flash of white, Boldore returned to its sanctuary. Marco walked over to where Nia and Roselia were, praising, "Roselia! You were amazing! Beautifully done! I'm proud of you, partner."

Roselia accepted the praises without any problems, posing confidently with his uniquely-colored roses on the hip as if to say, "I know I am."

Marco laughed, "Alright, Mr. Confident, it's time for you to rest. Sleep well." Then Roselia was promptly back in its Pokeball. 

Nia stood up to hug Marco, "Wow! That was quite something. I didn't realize you can battle so well." 

Marco disagreed, "Um, I don't know. To be fair, it was only my third time battling."

Nia's jaw dropped open, "Are you bloody serious? Sweet Arceus, you're a natural!"

"Gahaha! What a fine battle that was, my children. Now I'm sure the four of you have worked up quite an appetite. Come, let's find a proper spot and eat!"

(Unbeknownst to the four, passersby watched on in shock, and some brief clips of their battle started circulating the media. Some comments pointed out that it was the same guy who was seen with Leon the night before. Slowly and surely, people all over Galar were becoming interested in who this white-haired man was.)

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me if the pokémon battle wasn't that great. But hey, I'm learning and practicing my hands at it. I can only grow from here. :)
> 
> Hopefully, some of y'all caught some of that "extra story development" from the Crown Tundra DLC. I just had to include a part of a line from it, lol. 
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte


	9. A Memory to Grow (0.4) / The Summarized List (15) / unknown (16)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently started watching "The Case Files of Jeweler Richard," and my God, do I ship these two bois so hard! 
> 
> Truthfully, I needed a break from consistently watching fantasy/supernatural anime. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this anime. Simply because watching Richard had me remembering this man was somewhat what I pictured for Marco. An individual born from a diverse, rich background - a blend of multiple nationalities - with a pretty face and a kind, respectful soul. 
> 
> Also, I've been taking in-depth notes of what changes I want to make to this story. There will be lots of changes, undoubtedly, but I think these changes are a must. 
> 
> I did note that Marco's personality would drastically change in a new version of this story because I wanted more visible growth. But I don't know. We'll see. I will keep going and write and put out all of my ideas. 
> 
> In the meantime, I hope y'all are enjoying what I have to offer. Small details will make up the full picture. ;)
> 
> \- I neglected to mention that Aurorus is Nia's pokémon. There will be a notable theme with her team, as seen in Peony.
> 
> \- I edited out Circhester because, um, I don't know what I was thinking? Like oops. Dumb me. I meant Motostoke. 
> 
> \- As for the book thing, I eventually realized it was the tangibility. Attaining a creation that came from his mother's mind. That's why I wanted Marco to go and do something, rather than just looking them up online and reading them in a different format. There's something real and profound when it comes to holding a novel in your own hands.
> 
> \- Expanding on the book thing, I answered any potential questions regarding why Marco wouldn't remember some contents. A fault on my own because I have it written in the notes, but I forgot to include it in writing for Chapter 6. It's okay though, this story is the first draft of my dreams, lol. Over time, I'll edit it and enhance the reading experience.  
> 
> 
> \- In Chapter 6, I clarified that Nia found out "Snow Queen" happened to be published by Marco's mother. It's a new edit. So Chapter 7, I changed the dialogue, following up on that realization.
> 
> (Also, make a guess on which chivalric romance poem I referenced to? It's a favorite of mine.)
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

It was one summer afternoon when a ten-year-old boy rested against a stone bench, with a bowl of berries and pellets on the ground to his right. 

His agenda accomplished for the day, especially the lessons that the governess gave earlier on. As Marco relaxed, he opened up a book and kept an ear out for usual signs of Budew's expected daily visits.

As he waited, he found himself drawn into the world held in his hands:

_ So creeps the long-burning days and dancing winds,  _

_ When the West blessed the oceans of grasses and flora, _

_ Blooming the Beauty during the vernal season,  _

_ While the morning dew trickles off the leaves, _

_ Awaiting the caring caress of the lonely star, _

_ Then Lady Carpo arrives in the trail of changing leaves,  _

_ Warning it to ripen before the time of snow falling. _

Then the sounds of bushes rustling pulled Marco back into reality. 

Budew came out and greeted him with a tired smile. 

Marco sighed, "Again, Budew?" 

"Dew." came the sheepish answer. 

"Well, like always, help yourself to it," Marco motioned towards the small bowl beside him, to which Budew happily devoured. Holding the book down, he gazed long at it, shaking his head just slightly. 

He could not figure out why Budew would come to the Garden injured, with visible scratches and patches of dirt. However, he could theorize one possibility, that Budew was seeking out challenges head-on instead of merely residing in the Garden - safe from Eterna Forest's beckoning depths. 

"Please take it easy, Budew," Marco spoke softly before reading again. 

"Dew!" said the baby Pokémon. 

Chuckling, Marco started to explain what he was doing, like always, "Okay, so I was reading this poetic narrative. Another medieval tale. It's about an excellent knight and this other--"

Above the Garden, through the window, cast a motherly look from a body turning frail. She briefly thought of a story, a tall-tale concept, that she almost reached for a pencil to jot down in her diary. 

It almost happened, but it didn't because the woman reminded herself that she needed to save her energy and rest while she could. 

At the same time, perhaps she could write out one line of it.

For what a story would it be. 

_ A lost prince and his partner, the absolute best friend, taking on the world together… _

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

"It  _ is _ rather strange. I didn't think of it before."

"Then let's backtrack!" said Nia, "We'll start a list from scratch."

Marco nodded, sitting down in the lounge chair. Looking out the window, he could see Peony was preoccupied with bringing out food to their Pokémon outside - they have a relatively large backyard, fenced in as expected of a typical townhouse neighborhood.

Nia told Marco she would be back with some pen and papers. 

During the wait for her return, Peony came in, pulling his shoes off and mentioning the baby girls. "They're quite something," the green-eyed man said, "It's quite sweet of them to look up to Roselia as if he's their older brother."

"Indeed," Marco grinned, "They've known Roselia all of their life." Then mentally, he recalled, "Roselia is six years older than the girls. The girls were born not long before Mum's passing."

"Hmm, I'd imagine you had a team planned out back in Sinnoh. Were the girls going to be a part of your team?" The man let out a sigh when he sank into the familiar comforts of a couch. 

"That's right," Marco nodded. "Now that I think about it. I did hope to find their evolution stones throughout my journey, rather than buying them in-store. I wanted to work hard for them. You know, earn them. Ah, but Cinder might be different. She could evolve into whatever typing she wants to be without the stones. As long as she is true to herself, that's all I want." 

Peony agreed on that. "But you have a feeling what she might evolve into?" 

Marco said, "Yes, I do," letting out a fond chuckle, "Those Baby-Doll Eyes effects aren't going anywhere." 

"Gahaha! Tell me about 'em. That lass tried to get more than her share just now." 

"I figured," Marco said, his eyes twinkling. 

"Okay!" Nia came into the living room, standing behind the coffee table, in front of the tv. "Sorry about the wait. I had to answer a call from the lab." 

"Oh? What for?" Peony inquired.

Nia waved her pen around in the air, "Bah, someone messed up my report with someone else's. It sounds like it's sorted now. Don't worry about it, Dad." 

Peony had on a look, but it was cleared away in a second. "That's my darlin' Nia for ya!"

Nia rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Dad," then she turned to Marco, asking, "Ready to brainstorm?"

"Sure!" 

"Ah, what are we doing now?" asked Peony, eyes flicking from Marco to Nia. 

"Just backtrackin'. Trying to see the bigger picture, ya know. We're making a list." Nia tapped her pen on the notepad in her other hand. 

"I see," Peony nodded. 

"Let's see… Ah, to start with, we'll put your last name atop the list. Why you specifically? We do know your family bloodline has some sort of, erm, magical history. But what we don't know is the real question." 

Marco hummed, pondering, "Like any other old-money family, there's this saying in Kalosian. Only the blood knows the secrets. So any tomes related to my family would be stored in the Belmonte Estate. Unfortunately, as I told you, the entire place burned down."

Nia's eyes softened, "Do you… do you remember why you and your father were there?" 

Marco shook his head, "I don't." 

There was a brief pause before Nia looked down to scribble something out. "Okay, movin' on, how about Damien? Do you think he might know something?" 

" _ Non _ , as I've said,  _ only the blood knows the secrets _ . With Damien… Well, Damien did know my Mum some time. He met her often at banquets and the likes while she was married to my father. One of his staff told me this, by the way. It wasn't a surprise he offered marriage to Mum shortly after everything. I'd imagine he did like her, but we all knew Mum only married him to secure a good future for me."

"But those books?" Nia asked. 

"Ah, it's true Mum was a bestselling author, you know that now. But she donated all of her salary to non-profit organizations and alike. She only needed Papa and me; she told me one time. Although she did regret not having any finances to support me at the time, so she did what she had to do. Even then, she continued donating the rest of her salary." 

"Wow, that must've been hard on your mother," Nia said, then she asked. "Ah, wait, so where did you get your money from?"

"Oh, that. Well, fortunately, there's the Belmonte inheritance intact, seeing as I'm the only one alive. Otherwise, everything would be liquidated and given to the Hearthome's jurisdiction. That would've been a travesty." 

"Bloody hell. I don't understand half of what you just said. Just what kind of things are they teaching you?" Peony asked aloud. 

Marco awkwardly laughed, "Yeah, it's not heard of for an eighteen-year-old to do these sort of things. It was expected of someone like me. Truthfully, I know far too many unnecessary things now that I'm no longer with the Lawsons. I'm a Belmonte on my own." Marco made a mental reminder to file the legal paperwork to make that happen as soon as possible. To officially reclaim his family name. "Perhaps one day I could put my knowledge to use." 

"Perhaps," Nia said with a grin, opting to sit next to her dad on the couch. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. Anyway," Nia turned the notepad around to show a new page with  ** Emma ** scrawled atop of it, "back to the topic, what about your Mum's diaries? Have you had the chance to read 'em yet?"

"About that," Marco took a moment to think about his answer, "would it be alright if you read them? I don't…" Marco trailed off, but Nia smiled at him, interjecting, "Of course. I'll let you know if there's anything you need to know."

"Thank you. I'll give you the box before bed."

"Ah, maybe I should help and read up some of these books? I feel like I'm not doing much," Peony jumped in. 

"You'll just get your stories mixed up, Dad," Nia said to him. 

"Oi! Don't be mean to your father, even if that's true," Peony scratched his head with a pout. 

Marco had an idea though, "Since Nia will be spending more of her time with Mum's diaries and works, why not let me help you out with your expedition data?"

"Nia? Are you fine with that? Really?"

"Yeah, yeah, but I can still multitask," Nia pointed her pen towards Marco before inking the paper once more. 

Peony smiled, "Brilliant. Well, then I gladly accept your help! I've got the lines and pictures of the relics about the legends on me Phone. Say, have you seen anything about Giants in those books?" 

"No, I haven't," then Marco tilted his head, "They're the Legendary Titans, correct?"

"That's what we know."

"And they're Giants of Ice, Steel, and Rock?" Marco said. 

After receiving a nod from Peony and a curious look from Nia, he continued, "Hmm, well, I've heard something along the lines of 'the Master of Legendary Golems' possibly residing in a temple somewhere up in Snowpoint back in Sinnoh."

"What? Really?" Peony's eyes lit up. 

"At least, that's what I heard. I can't confirm it since it's not exactly public knowledge. I don't think you can even find any trace of it online. But of course, people talk a lot at those party functions. Ah, mind you, this was a few years ago, but I did hear no one could figure out how to access the temple. It sounds like a similar situation with the temples here. Many ancient languages and puzzles with the temples sealed to the outdoors." 

"Is that so? Hmm, fascinatin'. Perhaps I should go there and check it out myself."

Nia cleared her throat, casting a glare at her dad. 

"Ah! Of course,  _ we _ should go there," Peony corrected himself. 

"Thank you for telling us this. It is certainly useful! Nia, you got that down?"

Nia confirmed, "Yes, Dad. I got it down." Tapping the new page, with  ** Sinnoh Temple ** titled atop it, "I'll be sure to leave the page on your desk after I scanned it up with the rest of the files."

Hearing that had Marco feeling relieved. He knew something that could further progress their expedition, "Then I'm glad to be of help. It only started to come back to me when Nia talked about the expedition on the way to the train station. Though, I didn't realize there was a connection with the temples. I wonder why there's one so far from Galar?" 

Nia suggested, "Continental shifts? Mmm, perhaps…" Then Nia was lost in her world, mumbling as she wrote out notes and questions here and there on the same page. 

Peony and Marco's eyes met in the middle, nodding to each other as they got up to go about the rest of their day. Nia was a force to be reckoned with, so they would have to brainstorm the rest of the summarized list another day. Maybe later in the night. 

Marco accompanied Peony out to the backyard, eager to get some fresh air. Modern and comfortable on the eyes, the Pokémon were milling about. 

Venus and Cinder were frolicking about in the neatly-cut grass while Roselia was soaking in the sunlight. Scizor could be seen with their back to the shed, located at the far corner of the yard. Metagross and Magnezone seemed to be enjoying flying around after each other, as Boldore appeared content laying down on a patch of dark dirt. Aurorus was nowhere to be found since her presence would drastically bring down the temperature. 

Marco noticed Boldore, next to the Pokémon, saw a long trail of dead plants in the stone-built flower beds. 

From Peony's face, Marco figured this plot of land belonged to his wife. 

"Erm, would it be alright if I take up gardening?" 

"Gardening?" said Peony, glancing at him. 

Marco motioned over to the flower beds. 

"Oh, yes. I think… I think that's quite fine. My wife used to grow these peonies for us. Hmmm, it's been a while, but I remember it as clear as day. She would grow these light pink for Nia and white for me. There would be red too." Peony pointed out which area of the plants would be the corresponding color.

"She sounds lovely," Marco commented. 

"Mmm… indeed she is. Was." Peony said, then cleared his throat, "Pray tell, why gardening?"

"Oh, it's just something I love to do with Roselia. You see, there was a gardener I always hung out with back at the Manor. His name was Beau. I think of him as a father figure, I suppose. Oh, you know those gloves I had in my bookbag?" Peony nodded. "Those were his. He handed them down to me. So gardening means something to me."

Peony was still silent.

"Would it be alright if I…?" Marco trailed off. 

"Yes," said Peony gruffly, and then before Marco had time to reply, "I believe everything's in the shed over there. It is locked for security reasons, but if you give me a moment, I can find the key."

"Sure."

Off the older man went, stepping back indoor while Marco stepped closer to the gardening plot. 

Bending a bit to get a closer look, he could envision how the gardens would turn out now. Replacing soils anew and pulling out of weeds - days of hard work would be ahead of him. 

Alas, he would have to do it after Hammerlocke, if not then after Freezington. He could at the least take stock of what they had in the shed and order anything else when convenient. 

"Oi! Over here, let me show you how to open this old thing," Peony called out to him, holding up a small key from his fingers.

Marco walked to him, eager. 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE - 

**EARLIER IN THE DAY**

(unknown / 10:52 PM)

Hey, is this Marco?

(Marco / 8:03 AM)

Yes, this is him. Who is this?

(unknown / 9:15 AM)

Sorry, my bad, mate. It's Raihan. Got the # from Lee.

(Marco / 9:20 AM)

Oh, yes, Leon said he'd give you my numbers. 

(Raihan / 9:21 AM)

Yeah, he asked me to be your guide or something?

(Marco / 9:22 AM)

Or something. I'm visiting Hammerlocke to look up tomes and ancient texts for a professional project. 

(Raihan / 9:23 AM)

Gotcha, so maybe the vault would be a good start

(Marco / 9:25 AM)

The Vault?

(Raihan / 9:26 AM)

Almost forgot ur not from here. It's where our most precious pieces of Galarian history are preserved.

(Marco / 9:27 AM)

Sounds like the right place, then. Thank you so much for this.

(Raihan / 9:27 AM) 

No big deal. I owe Lee one anyway. 

(Marco / 9:28 AM)

Do you really? 

(Raihan / 9:30 AM)

That's a story for another day, lol. Say, when will you be arriving in Locke?

(Marco / 9:31 AM)

I'm boarding the train at 8 AM tomorrow?

(Raihan / 9:32 AM)

Okay. If luck's on your side, you'll be at Locke by 10, but I'll be there at 10:15 ish.

(Marco / 9:33 AM)

Thank you! Where should I meet you?

(Raihan / 9:34 AM)

You'll know. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick question, does anyone know what show it was where the side character read the main character's dead parents' works/diaries? Maybe it was old manuscripts? I wrote this chapter with that aspect in mind. That idea made an impact on me because I thought it interesting. Therefore, it stuck to me until this day. I thought it's cool since not all main characters have to do what should be expected of them. That it's okay they're not ready to read something personal. That perhaps they're afraid of that closure and embracing that sense of loss again. ;) - I already googled it, but I don't see it anywhere because I did not watch The Vampire Diaries, nor will I ever. 


	10. The Sterlings' Farewell (17) / Hammerlocke and the Vault (18) / Last Train (19)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It began with Theseus and his story of eating dandelion salads right up until he slew the Minotaur. But then I realized I need to think outside of it all. "The Lion's Tooth" is the literal translation of dandelion. Also, I realized Leon is supposed to represent royalty in a way. 
> 
> Then I recall several Lion monuments: one in London, Belfort, and another in Lucerne. Exploring the information in these areas led me to remember some medieval legends about a mountain of healing dragons in Europe due to its local myths. I'm a nerd, I'm aware. So it was then I realized that the mountain was called Mount Pilatus, which happens to overlook Lucerne. 
> 
> Let me clarify that. The so-called "Mountain of Dragon" is overlooking Lucerne, where the Lion of Lucerne resides. Let me tell you when I tell you I was shaking, and I meant I was shocked. 
> 
> To this day, according to history, there is a lamentable statue of a lion—stunning, beautifully crafted rock relief built in honor of the Swiss Guards massacred during the French Revolution. I remember my professor talking about these lion monuments quite briefly, but I admit I didn't give them much thought. It is fascinating how figurines made from rocks hold so much history…
> 
> Ultimately, I decided to give Leon the last name of Lucerne. The origins and meaning of the word are uncertain, according to three sources. But the third meaning, "Lantern," holds more ground and the symbolism surrounding such a term clinches the deal for me. Leon is a bright light, and he will lead Galar forward in a time of turmoil. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Raihan's last name came from this soothing medieval-inspired band piece's composer, Mr. Steven Reineke. The work is aptly named "Pilatus: Mountain of Dragon." Please do check it out if you appreciate medieval pieces. I chose the name because of the sheer convenience of how Pilatus contains stories and myths related to dragons, with Lucerne in its vicinity. The fact that there is a goosebump-inducing epic song that gives you this draconic vibe is just superb.
> 
> As for the Sterlings, Peony/Rose/Nia, the first thing that came to mind was the term "Ferrum." I researched then I changed my mind. Eventually, I searched names that have "minerals" or "iron" in their meanings. That was when I came upon Sterling. There are theories about the origins of this name. There's one about a Steelyard during a specific period, one about a "little star," and so on. In short, I thought it reminded me of "Steel," and I liked how it rolled off my tongue. So, Peony and Nia Sterling it is. 
> 
> Perhaps it's a bit too much to have, you know, alliterative names instead of going for the Japanese names—Leon Dande, and so on. But I want to be creatively involved as much as possible. Make this world a little more real. Please let me know what y'all think? 
> 
> Leon and Hop Lucerne (Lion of Lucerne) 
> 
> Raihan Reineke (Pilatus: Mountain of Dragons) 
> 
> Peony and Nia Sterling (Little Star / Steelyard / A Grade of Silver)
> 
> With love, Alessandro Belmonte

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

It was a chilly Tuesday morning when Marco stepped onto the platform, saying his goodbyes to Peony and Nia. 

"You sure you have everything?" Peony asked for the fifth time in the past hour, to which Marco kindly responded a "Yes," as Nia rolled her eyes at the same time. 

It was a few minutes before the train departed. Marco bought himself a private room so he could work in peace, attaining a sense of security. 

Facing Nia, he said, "Thank you for lending me the tablet. I promise to take good care of it." 

"Oh, no problem, mate," she smiled. "Just help us out with the legends as soon as you're able." 

Then Marco turned to the older man, grinning, "I'll be fine, Peony. I might rent out a hotel room if I'm not back tonight, though." 

Peony sighed, laying his hand atop Marco's head, affectionately ruffling it a bit. It was becoming a habit for the former champion. "Keep me updated as often as possible, please."

Marco nodded, "Of course," then he looked down at the newly-bought watch on his wrist, "I have to go, but I'll see you back here hopefully tomorrow morning." 

When the doors closed and the train slowly started moving after a moment, if one could be a witness, they'd dare claim there was a lingering smile on Marco's face - after turning away from the Sterlings, pausing by the hallway after a corner. 

After locking the compartment door, he let out his Pokémon. He simply told them to relax, and he would be working on a project for Nia and Peony in a chair nearby. The cabin took up half a railcar, but there was no money loss for him. Venus and Cinder took up a spot on the bed and started napping on top of it. Roselia, on the other hand, danced around the room until he found an optimal place to soak in the sunlight beaming through the modestly-sized picture window. 

Static, then there was a brief announcement: warning there could be a potential for a delay near Route Ten. 

Marco thoroughly understood the geography of the Galar region before leaving the townhouse the other day. He learned Route Ten was predominately Ice-Type Pokémon; therefore, Snow Warning effects could occur at any given moment. 

He briefly wondered if his powers would unintentionally call on any of the strong Pokémon in that area. According to Nia, there didn't seem to be rumors of mythicals or legendaries in Route 10, so Marco should be safe on his own. It was more interesting, though, to know Route 10 was the last stop before Wyndon for trainers partaking in the annual Gym Challenge.

Since his thoughts strayed to topics surrounding myths and legends, it was time to check out the pictures and documents Nia granted him access to. Officially, Marco was the expedition's "historical researcher and consultant," should anyone question his position among the team. Perhaps he knew more of Sinnohan history than Galarian, but nobody would know that. 

Booting up Nia's sleek tablet, it was easy to navigate the Home Screen and enter Smoogle Doc: where photos and documents were stored and compiled in files. 

Ignoring the countless others, he tapped on the Recent listing, tapping on the folder icon titled "Crown Tundra Expedition - the Sterlings" to then carefully read the titles of three different folders. Those titles were: Legendary Titans, Legendary King, Legendary Birds. 

Marco knew Peony and Nia would be focused on the Legendary Titans on top of looking into Mum’s diaries relevant to his Ice-Type powers. That and Marco knew more about the Giants than the other legends, so he clicked on the one about the King. He hoped to read the ones about the Birds on the way back to Wyndon. 

64 Pages. 

Quickly scrolling through them, there were relatively old pictures of the Crown Shrine before it encased in ice - unlikely photographed by Nia or Peony. Then there were Nia's recent photos towards the end. Opting to go back to the beginning, he wanted to establish a good understanding of this Freezington lore. 

He often saw the other days a wooden statue intended to portray a King and his Loyal Steed. Nia somewhat filled him in, saying this King was once the ruler of Crown Tundra and blessed harvests yearly. 

On the first page, he could see writings and a stanza taking up space midway down. 

There was an obvious scrawl of Peony's writing. It read: 

**"There's a fairytale in Freezington about the Legendary Pokémon known as the King of Bountiful Harvests. In the local legends, the King is said to wear a massive crown on its head, but the wooden statue near the fields in the middle of the village shows no sign of a crown."**

Marco almost forgot about that minor tidbit. It was the first observation he made aloud once he saw it in person. The wooden crown was amiss, Nia explained, and no one knew where it could be. 

There were few sentences, consisting of attempted explanation and ideas about the stanza below: 

**_"Dulled shimmers of the false crown,_ **

**_amidst the sleeping field of the lonely town,_ **

**_and among the frozen trees a graven image,_ **

**_in the silver moonbeams,_ **

**_across the glistening plains,_ **

**_lies the choice between the great climb and rows of stones,_ **

**_long live the King, may they never be overthrown,_ **

**_for the tamed twins silently beg the ruins of the known"_ **

**Note: An elderly man spoke of a beast that steals life forces at night while the current Mayor of Freezington talked about a beast that summons deadly blizzards during the day.**

This section was considerably refreshing! It wasn't uncommon for Galar to have poetry in their stories and fairytales. Truthfully, he had forgotten that some of the best writers were from Galar - writing some of the classic, timeless medieval romances, and tragedies in the world. Kalosian and Unovan literature and playwrights tended to dominate popular culture in history, and to this day, however. 

But long ago, Galar used to be a thriving nation of Kings and Queens. Prosperous kingdoms used to be sprawling all over, but now Hammerlocke was standing alone. However, some remnants of ancient times could be seen in Circhester and Wyndon. 

Technically, Galar still had royalty, but it seemed Nia and Peony held much disdain for the remaining descendants. A brief Smoogle search on the current royals quickly dissuaded him from looking deeper into the Galar Royal Family history. 

Unique names and hairstyles, Marco remembered thinking.

Clearing his head of those weird brothers, he called out Rotom to open up the notes section to type down his thoughts. 

He softly voiced out a reminder to inspect the field surrounding the wooden statue in person. 

He also added that what Nia and Peony speculated held much truth. That there were a king and two beasts; therefore, three legendary Pokémon. 

On a minor note, Marco mentioned that Mew must've had some connection to the Crown Shrine, that the Shrine must've been one of the Sacred Places for the legendaries.

He had a feeling the next step to finding this King would be retrieving the false crown. But would a Legendary care much about such a simple wooden statue? 

Maybe. 

There were always stories - Kantonian, Unovan, Kalosian, and so on - depicting lessons that even a trinket or a kind action for a Legendary or a Deity would earn you their respect and presence. Sometimes even rewards. 

With that in mind, Marco recalled a story of a young boy stumbling upon a small shrine in the forest. It was old and broken down, a clear sign of the time. But the young boy was adamant about restoring it to its former state. 

One day, when the young boy was successful in fixing it up, a fairy-like being appeared before the boy. This mystical being thanked the boy for the hard work and offered him a reward in exchange, which the boy politely refused. 

This mystical being was rumored to be Celebi, for they foretold the boy to bring his family out to a specific location on a particular day at a specific time. Upon the boy and his family's return to their home, they were shocked to see a great flood washed everything they had ever known except for their house. Townspeople and neighbors were gone. Afterward, rose a new town named Azalea for the flowers that grew everywhere that day.

Many claimed that these kinds of stories were to be taken with a grain of salt. That perhaps there might be some truth to it, but details were greatly exaggerated. Marco remembered that the Johtonian town suffered a great drought centuries ago - maybe it was the combined Slowpokes' Rainy Day effects that brought in this sudden and robust flood. Who truly knows, and that was why people like Peony and Nia existed. They sought to uncover the truths of the olden days. They sought to understand how their ancestors lived long ago, back before legendaries went into hiding or were sealed away. 

There went the time. 

Marco took further notes and got Rotom to type down any questions and thoughts. The nuances in the poem. The multiple potential meanings behind the select keywords. 

Every so often, when Marco looked up, he would see the stretching plains with the bird and the bug Pokémon flying around or the icy glaciers with the pure white snow falling against the window.

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

"Oh my Arceus! It's him!"

"Bloody hell, he's beautiful in person!"

"Wait, move! It can't be!"

"It is! It's the lad who was with Leon!"

Banshee screeches were indecipherable sentences—terrible noise to Marco's ears. 

Raihan texted him that the Hammerlocke platform tended to be almost deserted at this hour - everyone would take the Flying Taxi over trains these days. Something about the thrills of riding in a cab flown by one of their regional Pokémon.

But it seemed maybe someone caught winds of his arrival at Hammerlocke when he was boarding the train earlier. 

He didn't anticipate this happening, but he supposed it was understandable. He didn't precisely obscure himself from the public's eyes. An error on his part, but that was fine. It would be okay eventually. 

But what was not okay was these loud chatters would cause the crowds of faceless women and some men, to grow large and suddenly surrounded him all around. 

It took him a moment, his heart starting to race, but he was aware of a precarious situation he was in. This was terrible trouble. 

And he didn't have the chance to scope out where Raihan could be. 

Then he heard it, a voice crying out, "Sunny Day now!" as he tried to step away from the crowd. 

Suddenly, all they could see was blinding light - the source being a ball of bursting, radiant energy above the crowds. 

Marco could hear screams while he covered up his eyes with one of his arms, letting out a yelp when he felt someone pulling him away. 

It was by luck his powers didn't let out because he was frightened for a moment. That was until he heard the man speak. 

"Huh, Lee didn't say you were this pretty."

Then he let out a "What?" as blood warmed his cheeks. 

"Never mind that, mate," chuckled the taller man as he set Marco down in the alleyways somewhere. 

Regaining equilibrium Marco peered up into the man's ocean-blue eyes, shocked at the stark height difference. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, pictures of the brief Smoogle search connected the dots. 

This towering man was black-haired and dark-skinned, with blends of green and blue hues and black irises, wearing a snug iconic black hoodie and form-fitting blue trousers of ankle-length.

"R-Raihan?" said Marco. 

"Yup, that's me," the man winked.

Marco stepped away from Raihan after realizing he was holding onto the man's toned arms. Not that he didn't notice them. Or felt them. 

"Um, pardon my manners. Thank you for rescuing me," bowed Marco, since it was only right. Otherwise, he would've been in trouble. He could've lost control of his powers, and someone would've gotten hurt. Maybe fatally. 

Thinking about it now, there were reasons why he shouldn't almost freak out in the first place. He was of the upper class, accustomed to paparazzi at charity balls and fancy outings. But he was not a celebrity. So he wouldn't have thought about this sort of thing often. He wouldn't have lived and grown accustomed to such a lifestyle. 

The last time he had gone to one was before his Mum's death. But there he was, photographs of him shared across the media. Surely, Nia would pick up on it, with Peony calling him up with that concerned tone. 

Marco reasoned that it happened so suddenly that he didn't have time to collect himself emotionally. But now that Raihan was here, surely all would be well.

"Nah, mate, it's nothin'," Raihan chuckled, then he looked around, "I'm 'fraid we'll have to go to the Vault from the backways. Follow me."

Marco promptly followed him. This man had an air of authority, and warmth shrouded him. 

"I forgot to ask, but are you usually busy? I hope I'm not taking your time away from anything important." Marco asked after a moment. 

Raihan shook his head, smirking, "Don't you worry that pretty head of yours, mate." Then saying, "Oh, but to answer your question. At this time of year, I'm not that busy. It's practically a working vacation of sorts. Ah, but during the Gym Challenge season, that's plain madness."

"Is that so? What do you usually do these days then?"

"Hmm, I've been trainin' with my Pokémon or helping out with the rangers on anything. Sometimes I'd pop a visit at the primary schools to see the children."

Marco said, "That's kind of you. I'd imagine as the eighth gym leader that you would be busy, though."

"Nah, mate, you're thinkin' of Lee's schedule. His schedule is different from mine, but ours are aligned when it comes to the Wyndon Gym matches." They turned around a corner. "He's the face of Galar while I'm just a face of Hammerlocke. Er, one of the faces," the look of disdain was apparent on the lightly brown-skinned man's face. 

Marco knew of whom he was talking about, so he moved on, "I see. Were you born and raised here?"

Raihan nodded, "Yes, on the outskirts of the city, though." Chuckling with fondness, "My inner-city boy didn't awaken 'til I went to Trainer's School when I turned ten. But, ya know, you could learn all of that with a quick search online," one of his black eyebrows quirked up. 

"Oh," Marco chuckled awkwardly, "well, I'm not one for the internet, except for mythical and lore research. Lots and lots of research with that."

"Speaking of research, what are you looking for specifically?" Raihan inquired. 

"I'm looking into lores that are native to this region. More specifically, lores with those independent islands just past the Isle of Armor. I just wanted to see if their stories were written down." This phrase was an answer Marco often practiced with Nia after learning of the other islands she mentioned the other day.

"Ah, that's going to be difficult. Those folks like to be left alone, so we barely have much from them in terms of anything."

"I expected as much. Do you know where those books or information might be?" 

Raihan shook his head, "Sorry, I'm afraid I don't, but there is an assistant on the clock today who could help."

"That'd be great! Um, do you mind telling me what's the Vault like?"

There was a lit-up look to Raihan's eyes, passionate, "There are two levels of the Vault. Three if you counted the first floor, but ah, anyway, the second floor would be the library and artifacts. The third floor was where the Vault held the remaining tapestries of Galar's first kings. Sometimes I hold my matches there."

"Really?"

Raihan nodded, "You should check 'em out on my Gram. I post loads of stuff on there. Matches and training mostly."

Marco dryly chuckled, "I'll try, but that might be difficult since I don't have any social media account." 

"Woah, none at all, mate?"

"Yes," he chuckled in response, "but I think I'll have to create ones to take control of the narrative out there." 

Raihan agreed, "Those people are like hellhounds. They'll scrutinize you on every little thing. If you've got yourself a crowd that size already, then I'm afraid your name's starting to be on everyone's mind." 

Marco sighed, "That's not what I want right now, but hmm, I know just the answer for that."

"When you get it sorted, do text me if you've got yourself some socials, yeah? Anyway, we're here! Just let me ring someone up so they can open this back door for us."

Marco was surprised it had only been several minutes walking. Marco knew he could find the Vault near the city center, likely for proximity and security reasons. But from where he stood, all he could see was garbage, dim lights through the windows, and dancing shadows. The texture of the walls seemed different, Marco noticed. Stone-bricked? That would make sense.

A while later, Marco ended up at a modified glass/mechanized table with a centuries-old book carefully placed inside. He was donning proper equipment pieces when handling the texts, such as gloves and masks. The table had a dim light setting inside to minimize oxidation exposure for the inks. There was a glass layer on the top, and Tera, the assistant, showed Marco how to use it. 

Somewhat similar to those hospital incubators in NICU, this table had long sleeves gloves built inside it to allow the user to turn a page under the glass top. This glass top, towards the center, had a full-page magnifier. 

"Technology was amazing," Marco could only think. 

Tera warned him to be extremely careful and let her know when he finished with the book. Only she could take it out of the table and put it back inside its assigned case. She would bring up another one afterward. According to their records, specifically 358 items were yet to be uploaded to the internet. Out of those items, in the category of tomes and poems, there were 131. Luckily, Marco knew he wanted to read stories specifically from those self-governing islands.

At the moment, he was reading up on stories passed down from a tribe of seafarers from the "Far North." These stories consisted of a man of thunder, a reference to Thundurus likely, or maybe Raikou or Zapdos. Or perhaps not at all. 

There were pieces of evidence of ancient beliefs irrelevant to Pokémon around the world. One glaring example would be the term "hell," and there was an origin story behind it. Experts claimed that this was a time long before Arceus revealed itself to the world. That hell was a dimension where criminals and sinners would dwell before passing. That was the most common origin, but there were hints of different understanding or versions of it in other archeological sites worldwide. 

So he kept on reading. There was something about a snake-like creature that deceived people with its transformations. This creature was unwholly powerful if "the nature of the world" was in shambles.

These stories, these hidden truths, enraptured Marco from the very beginning. Raihan, on the other hand, was still there with him, lying down on a chaise lounge chair nearby. The black-haired figure was intrigued by some of these ancient stories when he stood over Marco's shoulder earlier. But now, Raihan was reading some of the ordinary, modern books from the Vault. 

Initially, Marco insisted Raihan could leave him alone, that he would be okay on his own and would make his way back to the station okay. The teal-eyed leader, however, was adamant about staying there, so Marco accepted that. 

There was a moment where Marco got startled, hearing a click and seeing a flash in his peripheral vision. It turned out Raihan took a selfie of him holding up a popular book next to his face, handsomely smiling with those fang-like teeth sticking out. Showing the post to Marco, the caption read:  **Today was a fairytale.**

Marco commented on the number of posts Raihan had made, which was well over two thousand, and Rotom's excellent photography skills. This comment somehow led Raihan to learn Marco never took selfies in his life, so they took a break from reading and went through an impromptu selfie-practicing session. Marco promptly deleted those pictures in secret, but there were one or two pictures he kept with Raihan next to him. 

After a quick lunch, Marco dove back into these beautiful worlds while Raihan took it upon himself to teach Marco's Rotom how to take quality photos. 

Raihan was an interesting sort, but Marco could see why Raihan and Leon were best friends in the first place. They would naturally gravitate towards each other. 

It slowly occurred to him that perhaps there was a substantial chance maybe one of them wanted to be more than just friends, but Marco wanted to step back and reevaluate some things. For starters, it had only been several long hours with the dragon specialist. Justly, Raihan sure did mention Leon often that Marco couldn't avoid such a conclusion. 

With Raihan saying these remarks at somewhat odd timing, unaware of what he said, wouldn't one think he had a crush on Leon?

"Oh, man, I wish Lee was here to see this! This is brilliant!"

"Oi, mate, better not delete those pics. Lee might wanna see 'em."

"Haha, this girl in a red hood got lost in the woods. Reminds me of Lee, ya know. Hmm, yikes, don't think he'd get eaten by a wolf, though." 

Briefly looking up from a different chronicle this time around, he observed Raihan and the two Rotoms once more. But he would cast his eyes back to the texts when Raihan met his stare with those dazzling mix of blue and green. 

———

"Oi, Marco, why don't we head up to the third floor?"

Marco caught sight of himself in a mirror. He appeared neat and clean; though, some faint lines from wearing a mask have temporarily imprinted onto his skin near his ears. 

It seemed it would be another day of stay in Hammerlocke. But that thought was forgotten from his head when Raihan surprised him with that offer.

"Sure!" The stories of ages past still enthralled Marco. Naturally, he'd love to know more about the First Kings of Galar. "Are you sure we can see the tapestries?"

Raihan waved his hand off, "Nah, we'll be fine. I've got the key."

Marco was surprised at the lack of security posted at the second Vault's doors (third floor), so he asked about that. 

Raihan quietly explained the tapestries weren't real. They were stored away someplace safe within Hammerlocke Castle, but the ones inside were woven by a group of descendants of the women who made them during the First Kings' reign. Copies, but there were still sentimental values in a way. Marco liked that. 

Raihan cheekily added that  _ he _ was enough security anyway. The Vault was part of the Castle, and his gym was not that far from it. Anybody would have trouble stealing from them. With the man's imposing height and fangs for teeth, Marco could easily get intimidated. But he supposed it was the calm wavy blue eyes and the soft facial expressions Raihan had on that put him at ease. This man exuded self-confidence and friendliness. 

However, he had to admit that it was starting to hurt his neck whenever he looked up to Raihan when talking. 

The Belmonte heir nodded and politely grinned, following in after Raihan. Then he was awed at the massive space in the room.

From a short distance, it was a dome atop the staircases. But he wasn't anticipating this much room just for the tapestries. 

He stopped looking around to observe the tapestries high up on the wall. They stood there in silence for a moment. Raihan was likely letting Marco be soaked in the glory. 

But Marco wanted to say something. 

"You know," drawing Raihan's attention, "I heard Leon's planning on buying a place for himself. Maybe you can do something about that. Perhaps spend some of your free time helping him. Anyway," as if innocently, "do tell me about these two kings. Are they heroes?"

Raihan's cheeks were ablaze, embarrassed, and he nodded once, albeit slowly.

Marco saw the man took a deep breath, and then Raihan cleared his throat, "Er, right, yes, so as you can see on your left—"

(Unbeknownst to Marco, Raihan was a stealthy photographer who trained his Rotom Phone to take photos discreetly. He may or may not have shared photos of Marco with Leon in a text, following up with a cheeky message. Leon may or may not have saved that photo out of whim. The two may or may not have been blushing after staring at a beautifully captured image of Marco looking up to the middle tapestry. Raihan only wanted to tease Leon that he had kept Marco alive after a day, but the pictures he just sent seemed to say something else. Marco made such cozy attire so effortless and elegant, what with a jumper and a pair of trackie bottoms. Thanks Arceus, Raihan recovered from that mortifying experience when he snapped out of reality with Rotom's help before Marco noticed.)

\- THE FROZEN ROSE - 

The last train had left the ancient city long before Marco stepped out of the Vault with Raihan into the moonlight. 

Surprised at the waning moon's appearance in the night sky, Marco brought the watch up to his face, "Oh, no, I just missed the train from this city, didn't I?"

Raihan leaned over, looking at the lit-up time, "Oh, bloody hell, I'm sorry, mate. Didn't mean to let time get away from us."

Marco shook his head, "It's alright. It had been quite an eventful, educational day." Bowing slightly, "Thank you for your time. I've got to be off to get a hotel room. Ah, maybe I'll see if that nearby Pokémon Center has a bed available."

Raihan felt guilty, so on the way down the sweeping staircase, he blurted, "You can stay over at my place for the night."

Marco caught himself on the last step, looking back up to Raihan, "R-really?"

Raihan looked to the side, fidgeting with his hands in his pockets, "Sure, 'sides, Lee would have my head if I wasn't a good something else."

Marco chuckled, "You have been a good something else today. A hero even. Again, thank you." 

"Ah, no worries," Raihan's cheeks were flushed from the cold. "Alright, mate," Raihan stepped down and in front of Marco, asking, "then mind walking the way home with me? It's not too far off. I'll treat you to a homemade dinner since we missed it." 

"You don't have to do that."

"Please, it would be a pleasure, mate."

"Um, okay, if you say so. Oh," Marco perked up, "I meant to ask. Do you have any stories of Leon getting lost?" They started their walk to wherever Raihan's place was - leaving the first-floor lobby out front as they said goodbye to the only security guard posted there. They walked by a Pokémon Center. 

Those blue-green eyes of his were sparkling up the darkest of the night.

"Oh, were you really? Then I've got one or many," Raihan smirked, starting on a story of Leon getting lost on the way to a restaurant that Raihan secretly reserved for his birthday two years ago. It was supposed to be a surprise. Unfortunately, they lacked the foresight to see this happening. 

As told by Raihan, the year following Leon's win of the champion title, there was a brief reprieve of "Lost Leon incidents." Everyone hoped that would stretch beyond his 16th birthday, but alas, the fans saw Leon wandering the other side of the city. 

How did they know? 

Leon was trending across their local media platforms, and so Raihan had to go after him. Riding off on Flygon.

As Marco laughed at Raihan's enthusiastic storytelling, the stars were dancing around in the great skies above the stone-built legacy. 

\- THE FROZEN ROSE -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been a product of 2 AMs writing and melatonin-induced dreaming, lol. 
> 
> It's quite fun exploring and expanding on the myths in my world of Pokémon because that is one of the focuses of this concept. Lores, but especially Marco's powers. What are the myths behind that? Who was singing out to him? What kind of stories and ideas Emma learned or had written down? There was so much to explore, just that alone. Since Marco's practically a part of the team, I also wanted to explore the myths behind the Regis, the Birds, and the King. I want this story to be fun in terms of creativity.
> 
> There's going to be a crazy adventure, but I have to read up on how the heck I write action scenes, lmao. 
> 
> Thank you for reading this far. I swear I'll refine this story once I got it all out of my head. Yes, I'll keep repeating this.


End file.
